The All Progressives Congress Screening Committee has disqualified 10 presidential aspirants of the party.
The PUNCH had reported that 23 aspirants were screened in two days by the committee.
The Chairman of the APC presidential screening committee, John Odigie-Oyegun, made this known on Friday.
Odigie-Oyegun spoke while submitting his committee’s report to the APC National Chairman, Abduallahi Adamu, in Abuja.
Apart from Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, other APC presidential aspirants screened by the panel are Senate President Ahmad Lawan and former ministers Rotimi Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Godswill Akpabio, and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.
Serving governors who were also screened are Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ben Ayade (Cross River) and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa).
Others are former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and serving senators Ibikunle Amosun, Ajayi Boroffice, and Rochas Okorocha.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in 2011, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Uju Ken-Ohanenye, Nicholas Felix, Ahmad Rufai Sani, Tein Jack-Rich, Ikeobasi Mokelu were also screened.
According to Oyegun, only 13 out of the 23 aspirants screened were cleared by the committee.
He hinted that youthful aspirants made the list of cleared aspirants without revealing names.
The PUNCH had reported that the committee held the screening exercise on Monday and Tuesday in Abuja.
According to an earlier released schedule by the party, the cleared aspirants are expected to contest the APC presidential primary at a special convention in Abuja between June 6 and June 8.
Call for Tinubu’s disqualification
A member of the All Progressives Congress in Kano State, Sagir Mai Iyali, had written a petition against the party’s aspirant, Bola Tinubu, seeking his disqualification by the Oyegun-led committee.
Iyali in a letter dated May 17, 2022, demanded the disqualification over the former governor’s “questionable educational qualifications”.
He also claimed that Tinubu allegedly submitted false documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission in 1998.
Iyali said although Tinubu is above the required age to contest the office of president, his age is not known, adding that obscurity surrounding the presidential hopeful could jeopardise the party’s chances at the polls.
It read in part, “We understand that Bola Tinubu who has since procured his expression of interest and nomination forms and has submitted the same to the party has certain issues that clearly amount to a similar disqualification scenario.
“From the information contained in prior submissions to INEC, particularly in 1999, Mr. Tinubu presented a false claim, on oath, of his attendance at the University of Chicago from 1972-1976.
“It is clear now that these claims are false. Not only was this filed in the INEC form with a declaration on oath on December 20 1999, it was also contained in an affidavit of loss sworn to before the High Court of Lagos, Ikeja Registry, December 29, 1998.”
The petition asked Tinubu to show proof he attended the University of Chicago or he must stand disqualified as the opposition is in possession of his questionable credentials.
“Over the years, the identity of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been shrouded in secrecy. In fact, no one can claim to know the identity of the man. Repeated efforts and demands by the general populace and the media to unravel the identity of Asiwaju Tinubu have all proved abortive and unsuccessful,” he wrote.
In his response, Tinubu’s Media Aide, Tunde Ramon, at 9.30pm on Monday said a statement would be issued soon. But he had yet to send the statement.
Details later…
PUNCH.
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