By David Lawani
The Chief John Odigie-Oyegun presidential screening panel yesterday concluded the screening of aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
Reports say that some of the screened aspirants with controversial records stand the risk of disqualification from the race because allowing them to go further might spell catastrophe for the party.
The exercise was slated for Monday and Tuesday.
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Those screened yesterday were Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; and oil magnate, Tein Jack Rich.
Others were former Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu; Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, and a former Minister of Information during the military regime of late Gen Sani Abacha, Mr Ikeobasi Mokelu.
Earlier on Monday, a former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Felix Nicholas; a US-based pastor, former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, a serving senator, Ajayi Borroffice, and a former Senate President Ken Nnamani.
Others were; Uju Ken-Ohaneye, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima; former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu and Tunde Bakare, a cleric.
A notable drama in the screening exercise was the banning of journalists from entering the venue of the screening of the presidential aspirants of the party in Abuja.
Journalists only took note of those entering the venue of the exercise from outside as the ruling APC conducted the screening of its presidential aspirants behind closed doors.
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It was learnt that this was done, according to an insider source, to shield the aspirants from being scrutinised by the media.
However, as of 9pm yesterday, no fewer than 21 aspirants had been successfully screened.
However, hut how the presidential candidate will emerge remains a huge task and a hurdle for the party to cross as the emergence of Abubakar Atiku in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to trigger fundamental issues in the APC as to who would best fly the ticket,
It was learnt that the APC governors are also jittery as to who to select to face Atiku, whose contacts and connections cut across all the nooks and crannies of the country.
