APC Screening Committee Disqualifies 10 Presidential Aspirants

Zakaa Lazarus, ABUJA

The All Progressives Congress APC, presidential screening committee has disqualified 10 aspirants from its primaries scheduled for next week.

Chairman of the Committee, John Oyegun, revealed this on Friday.

According to Mr Oyegun, only 13 out of the 23 aspirants screened were cleared by the committee.

“I thank you for the assignment that you gave us as members of the Screening committee of presidential Aspirants. I know how short time has been, I know the environment in which we do cover. so, we were quite happy to also do as much as we could to make the work of the party lighter. We had the privilege to being inaugurated by you on the 30th of May. We started work on that very day after a brief meeting. I will just summarize the main thing.

“First, we had 23 members Aspirants that we interacted with and my first comment is that indeed we are very lucky party. Those 23 that presented themselves were prominent Nigerians both within the country and outside the country that applied. But for what ever reasons could not proceed with their applications. The point I want to make is the quality of the people that want to govern this country.

“The second point I want to make is that; we were surprise that the active participation of the youthful members of the party. Some of them really surprise us as to what they have accomplished in life, their understanding of the situation of the country and how they want to have the privilege of governing this country. So, what was important was that they so believed in the country and the party that they were able to pay the sums which I considered as ransom to participate in the process.

He added that only youthful aspirants made the list of cleared aspirants.

“Our report is basically simple. We don’t want to beat around the bush. there were two aspects to it; The basic constitutional qualifications for you to aspire to be a president of the federal Republic of Nigeria which was simple and straightforward.

“However when asked about the identity of the disqualified aspirants, Mr Oyegun declined to disclose the names.

The committee held the screening exercise between Monday and Tuesday this week.

Cleared aspirants are expected to contest the presidential primary at a scheduled special convention in Abuja between June 6 and 8.