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APC Screens Tinubu, Ameachi, 9 Others
•Osinbajo, Fayemi, Onu, others for screening Tuesday
•Bakare, Ken-Ohaneye say they won’t challenge the party if asked to step down
Adedayo Akinwale
After weeks of dilly-dallying, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Monday inaugurated the presidential screening committee to screen the presidential aspirants of the party ahead of the party’s primary scheduled to take place between June 6th and June 8th at Eagles Square, Abuja.
The inauguration of the seven-man screening committee chaired by the former National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun took place at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja with journalists barred from covering the event and the screening.
The screening which ought to have been done last Monday started today and will end Tuesday.
Those screened by the committee Monday were: former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; Felix Nicholas; former Governor of Ogun state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Governor of Jigawa state, Abubakar Badaru; Senator Ajayi Borroffice; Ken Nnamani; Mrs. Uju Ken-Ohaneye; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Governor of Zamfara state, Dani Yerima, and former Governor of Lagos state, Senator Bola Tinubu.
It would be recalled that 28 presidential aspirants obtained the nomination and expression of interest forms of the ruling party, after which five of the aspirants pulled out, leaving 23 aspirants to slug it out for the party’s ticket.
Speaking with journalists, Bakare said he won’t challenge the authority of the party if he was asked to step down for the party to come up with a consensus arrangement, saying the party is supreme.
His words: “The party supremacy is the utmost essence. You cannot force your way through a party’s structure. The party has the final say. And when we get to that bridge, we will know how to cross it.
” The screening exercise is to check who is guilty and who is not. And it depends on the people who is doing the screening. By God’s grace, we have complied with everything demanded for. We have supplied every information.
” And every information given is accurate and there is no miscommunication anywhere. Therefore, we will listen to what they have to say to us. And we trust God for accurate answers and deserving answers to all questions.”
On her part, the only female aspirant, Ken-Ohaneye also toed the line of Bakare when she said she would step down if the party ask her to do so, provided the party would be willing to carry on with her economic blueprints.
She said: “I want you to know that we are a family politically, and if I am asked by the party to step down, I will not challenge the party because like they say charity begins at home.
“I will never see it as a problem to my party because I am going to respect them. I am going to do whatever it takes to promote my party and make them relax so that they can make a better decision.
” So, if their decision is to ask me to step down, I will not have choice than to step down so long as they can carry over my blueprints on board definitely I will respect my party”, she said.
She disclosed further that the approach deployed by the screening committee was quite a huge incentive for her as she was more relaxed in responding to questions and the conversation was very frank and straight to the points.
Tinubu, who arrived at the venue at 5:50 pm was accompanied by Hon. James Faleke and the Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among others.
However, the presidential hopeful was screened at 8:20 pm, while Sanwo-Olu left as at the time the committee was about to screen Tinubu.
Tinubu left Transcorp at 8:56pm but refused to grant interview to journalists .
Presidential aspirants to be screened Tuesday are: the Governor of Cross Rivers state, Prof. Ben Ayade, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello, Mr. Twin Jack-Rich, former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, former Governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha.Okoroha is however currently in the detention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
