The All Progressives Congress National Working Committee has concluded this weekend, the screening of 145 governorship and 351 National Assembly aspirants ahead of the conduct of primaries.
The Screening/ Verification Committees are expected to submit reports to the Senator Abdullahi Adamu led NWC on Monday.
Tribune Online checks revealed that appeal panels for both governorship and National Assembly were inaugurated on Saturday simultaneously with screening panels.
Investigation revealed that the list of cleared aspirants is already creating apprehension as aspirants, not in the good book of their governors are wary that they could be axed.
The governorship primary will hold on Friday, May 20 while candidates for House of Representatives and Senate seats would emerge at primaries to be conducted on May 24 and 25, respectively.
An aspirant for the position of Senate told Nigerian Tribune in confidence that he was aware that the governor in his state actually submitted a list of favoured aspirants to the APC NWC for National Assembly seats for both House of Representatives and Senate.
Further checks by Tribune Online revealed that aspirants were asked to present certain documents at screening sessions for Governorship and National Assembly positions.
The required items demanded by screening Committees included original copies of their credentials; party membership registration slip, voter registration cards, evidence of all party payments and an original copy of state party clearance.
Other required documents included evidence of local government indigeneship, Birth certificate/Declaration of age, evidence of previous conviction (if any), tax clearance certificate and evidence of resignation as a Political appointee or any other public office (if any).
A member of the screening panel who spoke with Tribune Online, Senator Fatimah Rasaki however said the controversial Voluntary Withdrawal Form was a non-issue as the Committee did not insist that it must be filled and submitted by aspirants.
Our correspondent’s findings however revealed that screening of State Assembly aspirants has run into a ditch as the APC NWC was yet to inaugurate the Committees.
According to the adjusted schedule of activities and timetable for the 2023 general elections, the State Assembly screening was to hold this weekend.
while the conduct of Congresses to elect Local Government Areas, State and National Delegates would hold on Monday (May 16).
But the screening of State Assembly aspirants has been moved to Wednesday while the election of delegates is still fixed for Monday.
The primary for the emergence of candidates for State Assemblies will now hold on Sunday.
Chairman of the Screening Committees in one of the southwest states told Nigerian Tribune that the conduct of delegates election and screening of State Assembly aspirants are under threat as he accused the APC NWC of shoddy arrangement.
He said: “Our Committee will now combine both elections of Local Government Areas, State and National Delegates along with a screening of aspirants for state Assemblies.
“I have been in Abuja since Friday evening. We are yet to be inaugurated and the election of delegates is tomorrow.”
“The challenge before us is that there won’t be a window for aggrieved aspirants to present their cases before appeal panels. Already, governors are being accused of working towards a predetermined end since some of them have already submitted a list of their favoured candidates to the national secretariat.”
Checks by Nigerian Tribune revealed that two-term Edo State Governor and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrades Adams Oshiomhole, may have shelved his presidential ambition.
The former Edo State Governor who had formally signified interest in the APC presidential ticket was sighted along with his colleagues at Fraser Suites, Abuja for the screening of aspirants for the Senate seats.
He was screened by the Committee for senatorial aspirants for south south geopolitical zone led by former Zamfara State Governor, Mahmoud Shinkafi.
The Edo State governor is seeking the APC ticket for Edo North Senatorial ticket with an incumbent federal lawmaker from his Senatorial district, Senator Francis Asekhame Alimikhena.
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