Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress, APC has commenced screening of its Presidential aspirants.
A committee headed by the party’s former National Chairman, John Oyegun is handling the the two-day screening exercise at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja
On the first day of the screening, among the top runners for the ticket screened were former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima, Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi and the youngest aspirant who is a Pastor Nicholas Felix.
Ex Minister of State, Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba, the only female aspirant, Uju Ken-Ohanenye, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Robert Borrofice, Ken Nnamani amongst others have all been screened.
The party has no less than 23 Presidential aspirants to be screened ahead of its 6th June Presidential Primary.
Speaking to Journalists after his screening exercise, the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said; ”the stories of the party asking aspirants to step down for a particular aspirant is not true and it is a rumour.
”The candidate the party selects will determine how tough or how easy the election will be.”
The former Zamfara State Governor, Sani Yerima told Journalists that the party has to select a candidate from the North in order to beat the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar who is a northerner.
Yerima said; “The choice is for APC to go to the North, you see politics is about election. You have to look at the voting strengths. I am sure very soon when Nigerians believe in Nigeria, accept citizenship as a criteria for choosing anything like the Constitution has already decided, there nothing like zoning and can get a quality person that will earn APC the number of votes required to win, I am sure they will look at that.”
The Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare said that aspirants cannot force their way through the party’s structure.
“The party’s supremacy is the utmost essence, you cannot force your way through a party’s structure. The party has the final say and when we get to that bridge, we will know how to cross it. It depends on the people who are doing the screening, by God’s grace, we have complied with everything demanded for, we have supplied every information,” Bakare said.
Mr. Bola Tinubu who was there with large number of supporters did not speak to journalists.
Others waiting to be screened are the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, ex Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonaya Onu, Governor of Cross River state, Ben Ayade, ex Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio and the Senate President Ahmed Lawan amongst others.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
