Kogi/ Bayelsa: Oshiomhole inaugurates c’ttee to screen guber aspirants

By Tunde Opalana, Abuja

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday inaugurated a 14-member committee to screen the party’s governorship aspirants for both Kogi and Bayelsa states.

He categorically, charged the committee members to adhere strictly to the APC guidelines which include membership qualification requirement for contestants.

According to the national chairman, aspirants must have been a financial member of the party for at least a year. This, he said “will discourage the party from fielding strangers as candidates” and to save the party from disqualification by the electoral umpire, and embarrassment from opposition parties.

Oshiomhole, who said it will be dangerous to place the flag of the party in the hands of people that know little or nothing about the party, added that this measure will discourage the non- rewarding of loyal members of the party who are qualified to contest.

He charged the committee to give every aspirant equal and fair chance, but ensure they seek clarification where necessary.

The national chairman said the party has suffered losses in the past, especially in the 2019 elections in states like Zamfara and others due to negligence.

“You have to be meticulous and not be sympathetic, but carry out the assignment strictly. We should not give room to the opposition to find faults in our candidates.

“Many people feel that screening is a formality, but the party needs to do proper screening for our candidates to be able to stand to face election challenges and to avoid the risk of disqualification and nullification of our candidates like the case we had in Taraba and other court cases we had as a result of such,” he said.

The screening according to him, will take place in state party offices in Lokoja and Yenagoa, capital city of both states.

While he urged them to liaise with APC state executives in both states, he warned the screening team to avoid hobnobbing with executive members, avoid being compromised or having their reports influenced.

Oshiomhole finally urged the committee to submit its report promptly, to give room for treating of appeal where necessary ahead of the August 29 primaries.

Responding on behalf of the committee members, Senator Hope Uzodinma while appreciating the party for availing members the opportunity to serve, promised to do justice to the assignment.