All Progressives Congress (APC) has ratified the decision of the Hope Uzodinma-led screening committee that disqualified Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin former Chief of Naval Staff and others from contesting its Thursday governorship primary election.
However, the Adams Oshiomhole led national working committee of the party at the end of its meeting increased the number of those cleared to nine, from four.
Those who lost out include Professor Mohammed Seidu Onaili, Usman Oyibe Jibrin, Mustapha Mona Audu and Rukkaya Ibrahim. Others are Gen. Patrick Adenu Akpa, Babatunde Irukera and Muhammed Abubakar Unukwu Audu.
The national publicity secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Isa-Onilu conveyed the decision in a statement made available to newsmen.
The Senator Uzodimma six-man committee had cleared only four of the contenders for the race while it disqualified 12.
Those cleared were the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello, Hassan Abdullahi, Engineer Abubakar Bashir, and Ekele Aishat Blessing.
The statement revealed that the decision was taken after it “has deliberated on the reports of the screening and appeal committees for the Party’s Kogi Governorship aspirants.
“After a comprehensive review of the submissions by the two committees, relying on the party’s guidelines and the provisions of the Electoral Act, nine aspirants were finally cleared to contest August 29, 2019, Indirect Governorship primary. Seven other aspirants did not meet the requirements for participation in the exercise.”
Governors of Jigawa and Kano states have been appointed as returning officers for the Thursday primary in Lokoja.
