DAILY GIST reported that The All Progressives Congress (APC) screening panel had disqualified 10 out of 23 presidential aspirants from participating in its presidential primary election.
John Oyegun, chairman of the screening panel had disclosed this on Friday while presenting a report to Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman.
“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,” Oyegun said.
“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.”
However, Imran Muhammad, an APC member privy to the inner workings of the party has on Saturday released the names of qualified and disqualified for the presidential primary election.
Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, are said to be among the 13 presidential hopefuls shortlisted by the screening panel of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Oyegun’s comment had elicited varied reactions on social media, which also sparked speculations that Tinubu may have been disqualified by the panel.
But, Muhammad, citing a reliable source, said the Oyegun-led panel cleared all the 23 presidential hopefuls but recommended a “safe list” which contains 13 names.
He said those included in the “safe list” are Tinubu, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Ahmad Lawan, senate president; Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi; Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti, and Emeka Nwajiuba, former minister of state for education.
Others are Ogbonnaya Onu, former minister of science and technology; Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun; David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi, Muhammad Badaru, governor of Jigawa; Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom; and Tein Jack-Rich, an oil magnate.
According to Imran, the 10 aspirants that were not included in the “safe list” are Tunde Bakare, Rochas Okorocha, Ben Ayade, Sani Yerima, Ken Nnamani, Ikeobasi Mokelu, Demeji Bankole, Felix Nicholas, Uju Ken-Ohanenye, and Ajayi Borroffice.
