Forty-eight hours after the screening of 23 presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ended, the Chief John Odigie Oyegun-led seven-man Presidential Screening Committee, has yet to submit its report.
The screening was a necessity ahead of the presidential primary of the party scheduled to hold between June 6th and 8th.
Those screened by the committee included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Niger Delta Development, Godswill Akpabio; former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha and former Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosu.
Also screened were Pastor Tunde Bakare, Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State, Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and former Zamfara State governor, Ahmed Yerima.
Others were Senator Ajayi Borroffice, the only female aspirant, Mrs. Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, Pastor Nicholas Felix, former Speaker of Representative, Hon. Dimeji Bankole;Senate President, Ahmed Lawal; former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu and Mr Tein Jack-Rich.”
The delay in submission of the report by the committee has heightened tension in the ruling party, while also putting the aspirants on the hot seat, as they were anxiously waiting for the reports of the committee.
Section 15 (f) of the guideline also compelled the committee to equally communicate its decision on the qualification or otherwise of any aspirant by issuing aspirants with either a “Certificate of Clearance” or “Certificate of disqualification”.
The party, however, has no plan to disqualify any aspirant, as it worked towards a consensus candidate.
In line with the guideline of the party, the PSC was expected to compile its report and submit same to the National Working Committee (NWC).
But the delay in submission of the report is a gross violation of Section 15 (g) of the party’s guidelines for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general election.
The Section reads: “The screening committee shall forward its reports within 24 hours of the conclusion of the screening exercise to the National Working Committee through the National Organising Secretary.
“The decision of the Screening Committee shall be conveyed in writing. Upon satisfactory screening, an aspirant shall be issued a Certificate of Clearance by the committee. Upon qualification, the committee shall also state the grounds of disqualification or issue a Certificate of Disqualification”
When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Felix Morka, confirmed that the party was yet to receive the report at the time of filing the report.
According to him, “We are yet to receive the report. The Presidential Screening Committee is still working and is yet to submit a report.”
On the constitution of the screening appeal committee as contained in the guideline, Morka added, “We are yet to get the screening committee report and are you aware of any aspirant that has been disqualified and wants to appeal the decision of the screening committee?”
