APC confirms Jonathan, Emefiele, Ngige, Slyva for screening today
The All Progressives Congress has confirmed the participation in its screening exercise of persons who publicly withdrew from the presidential race. Those who stepped down their presidential bids to remain minister are Chris Ngige, the labour and productivity minister; and, Timipreye Slyva, the petroleum minister. Godwin Emefiele, the governor of Central Bank, who equally indicated his interest in the presidency, is said to have withdrawn his request for court protection to pursue it. Another person rumoured to nurse such ambition is former president Goodluck Jonathan even though he has neither denied nor confirmed it.
In a shocking revelation, the APC National Organising Secretary Sulaiman Argungu said all the presidential aspirants under the banner of the party including the aforementioned would take part in the screening exercise. Argungun said that none of the aspirants had formally told the party he has withdrawn from the race.
He said, therefore, “all the forms of the 28 aspirants will be taken to the screening committee on Tuesday (today), God willing, at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja”.
Other presidential aspirants are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos governor, Senator Bola Tinubu; Governors of Ekiti, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Kogi – namely Kayode Fayemi, Dave Umahi, Muhammad Badru, and Yahaya Bello repectively. Others are former minister (state-) of education, Emeka Nwajiuba; former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio; former minister of transportation Rotimi Amaechi. Also in the race is the president of senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan.
TheCornet reports that the APC had last Sunday shifted its screening exercise. This medium gathered from a report that the executives of the party took the decision to enable them consult President Muhammadu Buhari on the composition of members of the screening committee.
