The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday inaugurated a seven-man committee to screen the 27 aspirants who are seeking to clinch the party's gubernatorial ticket in Kogi State, ahead of the primary elections of the party and the election scheduled for November.
Giving the guidelines the committee will follow, APC National Organising Secretary, Mr. Osita Izunaso, in Abuja noted that there was a high level of interest amongst party members in the state asides the aspirants.
Izunaso told the committee that all aspirants must be duly registered and ficially up to date, adding that five members of the party from different local governments must nominate an aspirant to qualify.
He stated that it is also the responsibility of the screening committee to scrutinise every certificate brought before them by the aspirants, emphasising that any aspirant who poses an obstacle to the screening of certificates should be immediately disqualified.
“All aspirants must sign the party’s code of conduct. The screening will be done in line with the 1999 constitution as amended. Only the aspirants cleared will go for the primaries,” Izunaso stated.
He said there will also be a separate screening appeal committee for aspirants who are not satisfied with the work done by the screening committee. Inaugurating the screening committee, APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, represented by the Deputy National Chairman South, Engr. Segun Oni, gave assurance that the screening of the aspirants will be free, fair and transparent. The Kogi State Screening Committee has Mr. Boss Mustapha as chairman and Amb Lawal Munir as secretary.
Other members include: Hon. Emmanuel Ufuoma, Chief Geoffrey Ufuru, Mrs. Tina Adike, Mrs Ekwy Oyindo and Mr. Bashir Sheriff Machina.