Ondo 2024: Ganduje, SRJ absent as APC inaugurates gov’ship screening panel

Voice Air Media, VAM News Update

THE ruling All Progressives Congress has sworn in a seven-man committee to oversee the screening of the 16 governorship aspirants who bought the N50m nomination forms to participate in the April 20 primary election in Ondo State.

The inauguration, which took place on Friday at the national headquarters of the APC in Abuja, had some members of the National Working Committee in attendance.

The party’s National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and the National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, were, however, absent at the oath-taking event administered by the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru.

The screening committee is headed by a former Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Joshua Lidani, while a former member of the House of Representatives, Bimbo Daramola, was sworn in as his Secretary.

Other members of the committee include Pastor Jones Erue, Chief Second Bakor, Magaret Duru, Prof. Chukwudi Ledirick and Abdul Balogun.

All the officials were asked to take the oath together along with another five-man Screening Appeal Committee which has the senator representing Kogi Central, Oseni Yakubu, as the chairman.

Other members of the appeal committee include Emmanuel Ekeh, Pious Idele and Ibrahim Magaji Dosara.

Addressing journalists after the oath-taking ceremony, Duru explained that the screening of aspirants before every primary election is in line with the Constitution of the party.

He said, “You are chosen to partake in the exercise of the 16 aspirants who purchased the forms from Ondo State. We believe you will conduct it with due diligence, discipline and, also course, fairness that the work demands. Unfortunately, I don’t envy you because it was meant to be a two-day exercise. But an additional day was added to the Eid-el-Fitr holiday. So we had to compress the two days into one, which means that you will work round the clock to complete the exercise within the timeframe that we projected.

“We are also looking to basket each aspirant into certain categories to enable the work to be flawless and reasonably organised. It is also important to stress that the work of the Appeal Committee starts immediately after the screening concludes their own. We at the secretariat will also help the midwife with most of the things you require and hand them over to the Appeal Committee. Then you can go on with the clearance. The work is intertwined.

“If there is any request or support you need, we will be more willing to render such support. All the files of the aspirants will be made available for you to look at and scrutinise to make your point. I am happy to tell you that the committee at this point stands inaugurated and I wish you the very best of luck.”

Ganduje and Basiru were also absent from the oath-taking of a seven-man committee to oversee the screening of the 12 governorship aspirants who bought the N50m nomination forms to participate in the February 17 primary election in Edo State which took place in February. (Punch)