The Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified 12 aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket in the upcoming governorship election in the state.
Recall that the screening committee of the party chaired by Sen. Hope Uzodinma was inaugurated by the party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole Last week.
Notable party Chieftains who made up the committee include Dr Adamu Abba, Hon. Bernard Mikko, Abdullahi Gumel and Hon. Okotete Stella as members.
The report of the committee mde available to journalists on Monday stated that only the state Governor, Yahaya Bello, a member of the House of Representatives, Hassan Bello, Mrs Ekele Aisha Blessing, and Mr. Abubakar Bashir were cleared to contest the forthcoming primary election scheduled to hold on August 29, 2019.
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The committee said, in the report, that they “arrived Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, approximately 12:45 pm and proceeded to the party secretariat for the screening exercise.”
The result of the screening as submitted by the committee, indicated that the incumbent governor, Bello, who was number one on the list, was cleared because of his “strong financial contribution to the party” and after all his original and supporting documents were examined.
Abdulahi, who was number 16 on the list, was cleared because he was “a committed member of the party”, and after he presented his original secondary school certificate, while Blessing was cleared because she is a “team player” and Bashir was cleared because he promised to support a “consensus candidate”.
The party sold each gubernatorial form at N22.5 million, raking in N360 million and clearing only four candidates.
Aspirants that were disqualified include:
Mohammed Audu,
Yahaya Audu,
Mona Audu,
Danlami Mohammed,
Babatunde Irukera,
Rukkaya Ibrahim,
Sani Lulu Abdulahi,
Gen. Patrick Akpa (rtd)
Prof. Mohammed Onaili,
Yakubu Mohammed,
Rear Admiral Usman Jibril (rtd).