An official of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has revealed why the ruling party shifted the screening of presidential aspirants under the party.
TrackNews had earlier reported that the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, on Sunday announced that the exercise had been shifted.
The screening exercise had been scheduled for Monday, May 23rd, 2022.
APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu while confirming the postponement had said the decision was taken as the screening panel has not been constituted.
Argungu further stated that the screening panel will be constituted yesterday, Monday.
Argungu noted that the National Working Committee of the ruling party would set up a seven-man panel, comprising a member from each of the six geo-political zones.
He also hinted that the presidential screening would take place on Tuesday at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
A source in the secretariat that spoke with Punch said the constitution of screening panels is just a smokescreen.
According to the source, the postponement is part of the plan of the party to put its house in order and compel the presidential aspirants to buy into proposed consensus talks.
The list of the aspirants who have submitted their nomination forms ahead of the May 29 presidential primary is the National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osibanjo; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Niger Delta Development, Sen. Godswill Akpabio; former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; former Imo State governor, Sen. Rochas Okorocha and former Ogun state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosu.
Others were Pastor Tunde Bakare, Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; his Ebonyi State counterpart, Gov. Dave Umahi; Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani; Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello; Jigawa Governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and former Zamfara State governor, Sen. Ahmed Yerima.
Others on the list are Senator Ajayi Borroffice, the only female aspirant, Mrs Uju Kennedy Ohnenye; Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo, former Speaker of Representative, Dimeji Bankole; Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan, former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu and oil mogul, Mr Tein Jack Rich.
