…Clears 15 Aspirants
As Nigerians gear up for the coming 2023 presidential election, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential screening committee has disqualified two of its aspirants.
This is coming as 15 Aspirants scaled through.
Chairman of the committee, Sen. David Mark announced this on Friday after the committee concluded its screening of the party’s 17 aspirants.
Sen. Mark did not disclose the identity of the disqualified candidates.
The exercise, as far as we’re concerned, went on very well. We’ve been here since morning, and I’m sure you people have been here since morning also.
“We’ve been very thorough this time. See how much time we’ve taken to screen each individual who has been here. We screened 17 aspirants, which is quite a number. We cleared 15 and two have not been cleared.
“Now, don’t ask me those who have been cleared and those who have not been cleared, because I won’t tell you. We haven’t released the result to them. So, if you ask a question in that direction, you’re wasting time.
“I think on the whole, that’s what we’ve done. And we’re quite satisfied with the standard of the aspirants by and large. And we think that any one of them, who gets the ticket, will win the election in 2023.”
“They didn’t meet the requirements and I can’t be more specific about that.”
The disqualified candidates are expected to forfeit the N40 million each of them paid for the expression of interest and nomination forms.
Reason for Disqualification
Speaking on the reason for the disqualification, the former Senate President said they did not meet up with the requirements for the position they were contesting for.
15 Apsirants cleared
Speaking on the 15 aspirants, who scaled the screening hurdle, the former Senate President noted that they were all qualified and would perform well if they emerged the flag bearer of the party in next year’s election.
The 17 aspirants screened on Friday included, Teriela Oliver, the only female aspirant in the race; governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Nyesom Wike of Rivers; Bala Mohammed of Bauchi; and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom; as well as investment banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; former Anambra State governor Peter Obi; and former Senate President, Pius Anyim.
Others were former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose; ex-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa; a United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze; Publisher, Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu; former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe; Charles Ugwu; and Chikwendu Kalu.
The screening, according to one of the aspirants – Sen Anyim Pius Anyim – was designed to verify the candidates’ membership and financial status, academic credentials, and other requirements for a presidential candidate as spelled out in the constitution.