Smarting from the disqualification of his party’s candidates ahead of the 2019 general election in Rivers, Zamfara and Taraba states, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said the party had become wiser from courts judgments which disqualified its candidates in the past.
He said the party would guide against fielding candidates with questionable dates of birth, educational qualifications and other errors which the opposition party could latch on to snatch victory after losing at the polls.
Oshiomhole cited the case of Taraba State where the Supreme Court disqualified its governorship candidate after participating in all stages of the election.
He spoke during the inauguration of the Governorship Screening Committees for APC aspirants for the August 29 Kogi and Bayelsa States primary elections.
Senator Hope Uzodinma is the chairman of the Kogi State APC Screening Committee while Senator Abdullahi Gumel is chairman of the panel for Bayelsa State.
Oshiomhole said, “Many put it that screening is a formality but because of our own peculiarity, people are sometimes economical with the truth. We need to do proper screening and ensure that those who pass the screening are likely to be able to stand not only winning election but of not being challenged after.
“We have a couple of cases where people claimed what they didn’t have or they swore to affidavit such that they have two, three ages, depending on what purpose they are swearing affidavit for.
“We have a recent case in Taraba where our governorship candidate who went through the entire election process, his candidature was nullified by the Supreme Court on account of falsification of age. So, if we thought before that screening is a formality, we have seen that we are not meticulous.”
Oshiomhole urged the committees to look out for contradiction in aspirants’ claims and examine issues raised against them without sentiments.
