The All Progressives Congress (APC) has finally commenced the screening of its presidential aspirants seeking to fly the party’s ticket during the 2023 general elections.
However, journalists were barred from covering both the inauguration of the screening panel and the exercise proper which held at Transcorps Hilton Abuja.
The screening was earlier slated for May 23, 2022, but indefinitely postponed by the National Working Committee (NWC).
About 23 aspirants are jostling to pick the party’s presidential ticket.
Some of the aspirants include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Minister of State for Education Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Kogi state Governor Yahaya Bello; former Ogun state Governor Ibikunle Amosun; Ekiti state Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi and former Imo state Governor Rochas Okorocha currently in court for charges bordering on corruption.
Others are Senate President Ahmad Lawan; Ebonyi state Governor Dave Umahi; Jigawa state Governor Abubakar Badaru; Pastor Tunde Bakare; Cross River state Governor Ben Ayade; former Senate President Ken Nnamani; former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Science and Technology Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; former Zamfara state Governor Sani Yarima, former Minister of Information Ikeobasi Mokelu, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Mr Nicholas Felix; former Speaker House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole; Tein Jack-Rich, Uju Ohanenye; the only female aspirant and a few others.
Blueprint gathered that the seven-man screening panel led by the party’s former national chairman, Chief John Oyegun asked all the aspirants screened Monday to express their commitment toward picking a consensus candidate by the party.
A source told our correspondent that “some of the aspirants were reluctant in committing themselves to the panel’s demand on the issue of consensus, while some openly said they will abide by whatever decision taken by the party leadership.”
However, 12 out of the 23 aspirants screened Monday include Tinubu, Nwajuiba, Badaru, Boroffice, the only female aspirant, Uju Ken-Ohanenye, Felix Nicholas and Governor Umahi.
Others are former President of the Senate Nnamani, Bakare, Amosun, Yarima and Amaechi.
I’m ready to step down if… – Uju Ohanenye
Speaking to journalists after facing the screening panel, Mrs Uju Ohanenye, however said she would step down if the party asks her to do so as long as the party would be willing to carry on with her economic blueprints.
“I want you to realise that when family politically are asked like my party, APC to step down, I will not challenge the party because like they say, charity begins at home.
“I will never see it as a problem to my party because I am going to respect them. I am going to do whatever it takes to promote my party and make them relax so that they can make a better decision.
“So, if their decision is to ask me to step down, I will not have choice than to step down so long as they can carry over my blueprints on board, definitely I will respect my party,” she said.
…Party supreme – Tunde Bakare
Similarly, Pastor Bakare, who spoke to newsmen before he was screened said: “The party supremacy is the utmost essence. You cannot force your way through a party’s structure. The party has the final say. And when we get to that bridge, we will know how to cross it.
“The screening exercise is to check who is guilty and who is not. And it depends on the people who are doing the screening. By God’s grace, we have complied with everything demanded for. We have supplied every information.
“And every information given is accurate and there is no miscommunication anywhere. Therefore, we will listen to what they have to say to us. And we trust God for accurate answers and deserving answers to all questions.”
As at the time of filing this report at 8:20pm on Monday, the screening committee was attending to the former Lagos state Governor Tinubu, who was the last presidential aspirant to be screened on Monday while the exercise continues today (Tuesday).
Gaya
Meanwhile, a lawmaker representing Kano South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Kabiru Gaya, has admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the nation’s mantle of leadership does not fall into the hand of a corrupt leader in 2023.
He also warned the APC that Osinbajo remains the party’s best bet if it is to remain in power beyond the tenure of the present administration.
Gaya, chairman of The Progressive Project (TPP), the umbrella body of Osinbajo support groups, said this in an article Monday in Abuja.
He said: “More than just giving us free and fair elections is ensuring that moneybags and prebendal lords don’t fly the party’s flags in 2023. The collective fortunes of Nigerians which the Buhari-led administration has worked hard to build and protect in the last seven years must not go to the dogs.
“This starts with whom he is going to be supporting in the build-up to the forthcoming party primaries.
As APC leader, he must ensure that he hands over the flag of the party to someone who imbibes his virtues of integrity, hard work, and patriotism and can sustain the party for the presidency.
“His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari said during his interview with Channels TV in January that he will have to keep his preferred candidate secret because the person “may be eliminated if I mention. I better keep it.”
“Buhari knew what he was talking about when he made the statement to Seun Okinbaloye and Maupe Ogun-Yusuf of Channels TV during the interview. He knows he is surrounded by some desperate hawks who are desperate to spend any amount to get the APC ticket.
“We recall when a certain then Governor was trying to outspend other presidential aspirants seeking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2006, he got the shock of his life when his counterpart won the day. The rest, as they say, is history.
“Mr President is using his influence to protect his legacy of integrity, anti-corruption, and hard work, his legacy will depend on who he supports for the APC ticket in 2023. The stakes are too high to cast his pearls before the swine.
“But if you ask anyone from any region in Nigeria today it is common knowledge and in my opinion as well that Prof Yemi Osinbajo is the only candidate that can take on this huge assignment, he has the competence, the integrity, the trust of the people and the capacity to win, APC will lose the Presidential seat if any other candidate gets the ticket.”
He also stressed the need for the president to ensure his legacy, particularly in the anti-corruption fight did not go in vain by ensuring a non-corrupt personality takes over from him in 2023.
“This article is more concerned with what Buhari’s legacy will depend on as he leaves office especially as internal source reveals that the biggest conversation around the very few who Mr President confides in had been the discuss about his legacy sorely dependent now on the quality and character of the person who he hands over the seat to.
“Nigerians believe that President Muhammadu Buhari certainly will not fight corruption for 7years of his administration and then hand over Nigeria to corruption.
“I want to make the point that the only thing Mr President has to justify his hard work on the current major issues facing Nigeria is to hand over to a candidate that understands the complexity and continuity but more importantly the one is not coloured or perceived as a corrupt leader.
“The President certainly is distancing himself from any such person and has answered how he wants to be remembered in my opinion, which will be largely dependent on who he will be supporting to succeed him in 2023!” @ the TPP boss further stated.
