APC primary
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that only 13 aspirants, out of 23 have been cleared to contest for the party’s ticket in the upcoming Presidential primary while 10 were disqualified.
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Chairman of the seven-man 2023 APC Presidential Screening Committee, announced this on Friday in Abuja, while submitting the report of the committee to the party’s leadership.
Odigie-Oyegun, however, did not mention the names of the aspirants that were cleared or those that were not cleared by the committee.
But Our reporter gathered that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made a strong showing at the screening and has been strongly recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari. It also emerged that some sitting APC governors are rallying behind Osinbajo, a move that has placed him in pole position to clinch the APC ticket.
Age, physical fitness and corruption allegations were used to disqualify some candidates, it was learnt.
Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the APC National Chairman while receiving the report, said it would be looked into by the party’s leadership.
A total of 23 presidential aspirants appeared before the Odigie-Oyegun-led committee that sat for two days.
Some of the aspirants include; Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the party, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Mr Rotimi Amaechi, who until recently was, the Minister of Transportation.
Others are; ex-governor of Akwa Ibom and former Minister of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Sen. Godswill Akpabio, former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.
Former Imo governor, Sen. Rochas Okorocha, former Ogun governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Cross River’s Gov. Ben Ayade, and his Ebonyi counterpart, Gov. Dave Umahi, are also in the race.
Also in the race are former President of the Senate, Sen. Ken Nnamani, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Jigawa’s Gov. Badaru Abubakar and President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan.
Others are; former Zamfara governor, Sen. Ahmed Yerima, Pastor Nicholas Nwagbo, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole ,and the only female contender, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye.
The cleared aspirants are to contest the party’s 2023 presidential ticket at its presidential primary scheduled to hold between June 6 and June 8, at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
