KOGI GUBER: Crisis brewing as APC screening committee disqualifies 12 aspirants

The Screening Committee of the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State has cleared Governor Yahaya Bello and three other aspirants for the August 29 primary of the party.

Only four of the 16 governorship aspirants were cleared by the committee to participate in the primary.

The committee announced the development in a report issued in Abuja on Monday at the end of the screening exercise.

The statement, which was signed by Senator Hope Uzodinma, the chairman of the committee, named other cleared aspirants as Mr. Abubakar Bashir, Ekele Aishat Blessing and Rep. Hassan Abdullahi.

The party’s expression of interest and nomination forms were sold for N22.5 million to the male aspirants, while the 3 female aspirants purchased it at N11.25 million each.

According to the report, Prof. Mohammed Seidu was not cleared because he paraded two different dates of birth.

The report said that there was also discrepancy in the date of birth of Usman Oyibe Jibrin.

Other aspirants were denied approval due to the following reasons:

Mustapha Mona Audu: invalid nomination process; not a financial member of the party; no evidence of financial contribution to the party, certificate of birth or declaration of age not attached.

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Hadiza Iyoma Ibrahim: No supporting document/credentials, invalid nomination by members of the party and not a financial member of the party.

Yahaya Odidi Audu: Invalid declaration of age and not a financial member of the party.

Sani Lulu Abdullahi: Not a financial member of the party and not registered in his ward.

Patrick Adenu Akpa: Unsigned and invalid nomination form and not a financial member of the party.

Danlami Umar Mohammed: Not a financial member of the party, invalid party membership card and invalid nomination.

Yakubu Mohammed: Not a financial member of the party and invalid nomination.

Babatunde Ayo Kunle Irukera: Invalid declaration of age, spent less than one year in the party and without waiver, academic credentials and supporting documents not attached, not a committed party member and nomination form not duly signed.

Rukkaya Ibrahim: Incomplete nomination form, no Permanent Voter Card, invalid declaration of age and not a committed party member.

Mohammaed Abubakar Audu: Invalid nomination form and not financial member of the party.

The report said further that “the committee received two separate sets of petitions against some of the aspirants and they were attached to the committee report.

“We thank and appreciate the APC National Working Committee led by Mr Adams Oshiomhole for the confidence reposed on the chairman and members of the committee.

“We hope that the committee’s recommendations will bring peace, harmony and unity that will ensure the victory of the party at the Nov. 16 general election,” the report said.

However, the coalition of aspirants who were not cleared by the screening committee expressed concern about the outcome of the screening.

The spokesman of the coalition, Mr Babatunde Irukera, who urged the party not to narrow the process, urged the party to make its primaries open to enable card carrying members to make their choice.

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