Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has confirmed that no presidential aspirant on the party’s platform has been disqualified, contrary to reports that the Chief John Oyegun led screening committee screened out 10 aspirants.
Adamu, while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Saturday, said none of the 23 aspirants had been disqualified from contesting at the party’s presidential primary scheduled to hold from Monday to Wednesday.
THE WITNESS had reported, quoting party sources, that the Oyegun screening committee only recommended a list of 13 aspirants it considers “safe” out of 23 that passed through the screening process, but did not disqualify any of the aspirants.
The sources had also disclosed that those who made the list of the 13, include Bola Tinubu; Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation; vice president, Yemi Osinbajo; David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi State; Yahaya Bello, his Kogi State counterpart; Ahmad Lawan, senate president and Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti governor.
Others who also made the cut are Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former minister of science and technology; Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, former minister of state for education; Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Ogun State governor; Badaru Abubakar, governor of Jigawa State; Godswill Akpabio, former minister of Niger Delta affairs and Mr Tein Jack-Rich, an oil mogul.
Meanwhile, among the ten aspirants said to have been excluded from the recommended list are Rochas Okorocha, former Imo State governor who battling corruption cases; Pastor Tunde Bakare; Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River State; Sani Yerima, former governor of Zamfara State; former Minister of Information and Culture, Ikeobasi Mokelu and former Speaker of the house of representatives, Demeji Bankole.
Others are, US-based Pastor, Felix Nicholas; the only APC female aspirant, Uju Ken-Ohanenye and Ken Nnamani, former president of the senate.
Recall that Oyegun, had while submitting the report of the screening committee on Friday, gave reasons why his committee pruned the number of presidential aspirants from 23 to 13.
Speaking at the party’s national secretariat, Oyegun said the committee would have gone a little shorter than 13 but chose to allow the party to decide who their preferred candidate will be.
“First, we had 23 member aspirants that we interacted with. And my first comment is that we were very occupant. Those were 23 that presented themselves. We had a lot of others, prominent Nigerians both within and outside the country that had applied but for whatever reason, could not proceed with their applications,” he said.
“The second point I want to make is that we were surprised at the active participation of the youthful members of the party. Some of them surprised us with what they have accomplished in life, their understanding of the situation in this country and why they want to have the privilege of governing this country.
“What was important was that they so believed in the country and the party that they were able to pay the sum that some of us considered princely handsome to participate in the process. And I think the party ought to pat itself on the back for them.”
On the criteria relied on to screen the aspirants, Oyegun said. “Aside from the basic background, experience and understanding of the Nigerian situation, the ideas as to how issues, difficulties and problems can be addressed were key factors that were considered.
“Our report is simple and short. I don’t want to beat the bush. There were two aspects to it: The basic constitutional qualifications for you to aspire to be a president of the Federal Republic to of Nigeria. That was simple
Meanwhile, Adamu noted on Saturday that the party may punish Bola Tinubu over his comment “against” President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu had while addressing party delegates in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Thursday, argued that Buhari would not have become president in 2015 without his support.
According to the former governor, after three election loses, Buhari wept and said he would not contest again, but he went to Kaduna and asked Buhari to run again and that he would win because he and others were on his side.
The comment has continued to generate reactions.
Adamu said, “We may punish him (Tinubu) for his utterances against the President