2023: APC Screening Committee Clears Presidential Aspirants, Disqualifies 10 Others

• After a successful screening of aspirants, all is set for the presidential primary election of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC)
• The APC will be heading into Monday, June 6 presidential primary with 23 aspirants jostling for the golden ticket to fly the flag of the party in the 2023 general elections
• Some of the top names on the lips of political pundits and enthusiasts are Bola Tinubu, Yemi Osinbajo, and Rotimi Amaechi

The John Odigie-Oyegun-led presidential aspirants screening committee of the ruling All Progressive Congress has cleared all aspirants except for ten others, Premium Times reported.

This means only 13 presidential aspirants out of 23 are eligible to contest at the party's primary elections slated for Monday, June 6 at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

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Legit.ng gathered that the Mr Oyegun-led committee confirmed that 22 aspirants agreed to the policy of consensus candidacy, except one of the aspirants.

Oyegun said:

“We engaged every aspirant on the issue of consensus and it was a pleasant surprise that 99 per cent agreed that the party is supreme and whatever the party finally decides, with proper consultations, they were likely to accept. There is only one person that said I will accept consensus as long as it is based on me.

“So, I think it is a point I need to emphasise on it. That gives you a way in the hours ahead to trim down even more drastically. But finally, we think we should not be afraid of the contested primary if anybody insists on the contest."

According to an earlier report by Vanguard newspaper, it was gathered that the committee confirmed the clearance of all aspirants stating that there were no reasons to deny them a chance at the primaries.

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Meanwhile, there have been controversies laced around one of the top aspirants, Bola Ahmed Tinubu over some allegations leveled against him, though no court of law has indicted him, but speculations continues to weave around his candidacy.

Responding to this development, a source revealed that Tinubu was cleared regardless of the allegations. He said his clearance was granted because none of those allegations have been proven by a court of law.

The source said:

“They threw it away. None of the aspirants has been indicted or convicted by any court. No allegation against any of them has been proved.”

On the issue of Buhari's successor, there are speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari is planning to displace the prospect of a southern candidate and front a northern candidate due to emergence of a northerner (Atiku Abubakar) as the bannerman of PDP.

Buhari not planning to field a northern

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Responding to this speculation, the source said the president does not intend to field a northern candidate for the APC.

The source said:

“That is not true. Who is the prominent Northerner in the race? Is it Ahmad Lawan? Ahmad Lawan cannot win Yobe State and they know that.

“If you are a cabinet member and the form has not closed and you meet Buhari today that you want to run, he will wish you good luck. That is what all of them are carrying about to say that Buhari is supporting them."

The source claims that Tinubu's aspirations has been a premeditated project which dates back to three years ago.

El-Rufai, Ganduje, Zulum, 6 other northern governors endorses southern presidential candidate

Meanwhile, the likes of Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano have vented their support for a southern presidential candidate.

According to a Premium Times report, the above were joined by Babagana Zulum of Borno, Simeon Lalong of Plateau, Abubakar Bello of Niger, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa and Bello Matawalle of Zamfara.

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However, the dilemma in all of these is that out of the 23 candidates, 19 of them are from the south leaving the APC governors in a tight spot on who they will pitch their tent with.

The ruling party has eight governors in the South, who are united in their demand for a southern candidate.

What I will do if I lose APC presidential primary - Tinubu

In another development, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has spoken on the possible outcomes of the forthcoming APC presidential primary.

The APC leader told his followers to put their mind at rest as he has done most of the work required for him to win.

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, however, said if he loses the primary, he will accept defeat.

Tinubu woos APC delegates in Katsina, boasts of track records

In another report, Tinubu boasted that he has the track records and experience to be the president of Nigeria.

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The presidential hopeful who made this statement when he met Katsina state governor, Aminu Masari and APC delegates in the state disclosed he joined the contest to unite the country.

He said he has the experience to turn around the 'sorry' situation of the country especially in the economic and security sectors to ensure that Nigerians benefit from its resources.

Source: Legit.ng