ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS APC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION SCREENING COMMITTEE DISQUALIFIED TEN ASPIRANTS
The John Odigie Oyegun led All Progressives Congress APC Presidential primary election screening Committee on Friday,3rd of June 2022 submitted the list of aspirants that will participate in the Presidential primary election coming up in the party’s convention slated to take place from 6-8 of June,2022 at Abuja Nigeria Federal Capital Territory FCT Abuja.
The Ear Witness findings indicates that the Chairman of the screening Committee while submitting the report to the national Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu said “So, the ability to lead, background, experience and your understanding of the Nigerian situation, your ideas as to how issues, difficulties and problems can be addressed and how the country can be moved forward became a critical consideration. It is on that basis who are you, what have you achieved, your understanding of the nation and things you can contribute to move the nation forward. It was on the basis of that we made our final shortlist. I don’t list the names. I think I will leave that to you. We have a shortlist which brought the number down to 13. We could have cut it a little shorter. But we wanted a pedigree with a longer element to surface. For them to be seen whether to be noticed, who knows? We hand them over to the party. And it is for the party to decide who their preferred candidate will be.
“I will conclude by saying that we only drew a word of caution. That there is this cleavage that is gradually becoming the Centre stage in a national discourse. As between the north and the south and the presidency. And we just want to advise strongly that the party should please think of it in making its decision, address it and let it influence their thoughts because it has its own implications.
“Against every aspirants, the issue of consensus and it is pleasant surprise that 98 to 99% agreed that the party is supreme. And that whatever the party finally decides with proper consultation, they will likely to accept. We had only one exception who said yes, he will accept consensus so long as it is build on him. So, I think it is a point that needs to be made and emphasize. So, that gives you a lot of leeway in the days and hours ahead to trim down even more drastically. But, finally we think you should not be afraid for a contested primary if anybody insist on the contest.” For emphasis, it is remarkable to point out areas of reference as Chief John Odigie Oyegun said, “First, we have 23 aspirants that we interacted with and my first comment is that we are indeed a lucky party. The point I want to make is the quality of the people that want to govern this country, We are a governing party and so the ability to lead, the background, experience… it is on the basis that we made a shortlist. I won’t want to read the names, I’d leave that to you, but we brought the number down to 13.
“We could have cut it a little shorter but we wanted the younger elements to surface.”
Meanwhile Felix Morka, APC spokesman, admitted that about 28 presidential forms were purchased, but three persons — Chris Ngige, minister of labour; Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum and Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — did not submit their forms to the party leadership.