The National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, on Tuesday, finally cleared nine governorship aspirants to participate in tomorrow’s indirect primary election to produce its candidate for the November 16, Kogi State governorship poll.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said in a statement released in the early hours of yesterday that incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello, Hadiza Iyoma Ibrahim, Yahaya Odidi Audu, Sani Lulu Abdullahi, Engr. Abubakar Bashir, Engr. Danlami Umar Mohammed, Yakubu Mohammed, Hassan Abdullahi and Mrs. Ekele Aishat Blessing had been cleared.
Issa-Onilu said they were cleared after a comprehensive review of the submissions by the screening and appeal committees, relying on the party’s guidelines and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He further said seven other aspirants who did not meet the requirements for participation in the exercise were Mohammed Seidu Onaili, Usman Oyibe Jibrin, Mustapha Mona Audu, Rukkaya Ibrahim, Gen. Patrick Adenu Akpa, Babatunde Ayo Kunle Irukera and Muhammed Abubakar Unukwu Audu.
Twelve out of the 16 governorship aspirants on the APC platform were initially screened out by a six-member screening committee headed by Sen. Hope Uzodimma.
However, five of those screened out were cleared after a review by the NWC.
Gov. Bello, Mrs. Blessing, Engr. Bashir, and Hassan Abdullahi were earlier given a clean bill of health to participate in tomorrow’s primary by the screening committee.
The outcome of tomorrow’s exercise could be challenged or appealed against by any of the aggrieved aspirants by Monday, September 2.
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