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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released a list of 14 House of Representatives aspirants it disqualified from contesting Saturday’s party primaries.
The leadership of the ruling party further disclosed that while Ondo and Rivers States accounted for the majority of the disqualified aspirants, the remaining aspirants are from Kogi, Bauchi and Ebonyi States.
Although the national leadership of the party, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, did not explain the reason for their disqualification, seven of the aspirants are from Ondo while four from Rivers State are believed to be allies of embattled Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The other three states accounted for the remaining aspirants.
The APC National Working Committee (NWC) in the statement also stressed that the aspirants participated in the screening exercise but were “not cleared” to contest the primaries.
It emphasised that the exercise was conducted “in line with established procedures and guidelines.”
While itemising the disqualified Ondo aspirants, the ruling party listed their names as Adefisoye Tajudeen, Idanre/Ifedore, Olusegun Victor Ategbole, Akoko South-East/South-West, Seun Oluwashina Ajongbolo, Akoko South-East/South-West, Rt. Hon. Arowole Ayodeji Samuel, Owo/Ose, Morufu Tosin Ibrahim, Akoko North-East/North-West, Oseni Oyeniyi, Akoko North-East/North-West, and Olaleye John Adedipe, Akoko North-East/North-West.
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The four disqualified aspirants from Rivers State, believed to be loyalists of Governor Fubara, include Air Commodore John Azubuike Opara (Rtd), Port Harcourt, Hon. Anderson Allison Igbiki, Okrika/Ogu/Bolo, Awaji Imombek D. Abirite, Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro and Hon. Boma Goodhead, Asari-Toru/Akuku-Toru.
Other states affected by the disqualification include Kogi, Bauchi and Ebonyi. Revealing their identities, the party gave their names as Dr. Bashir Ibrahim Bello, Bauchi, Darazo/Ganjuwa, Idu Igariwe, Ebonyi, Afikpo-Edda Federal Constituency and Sanni Salau Ogembe, Kogi.
The statement read: “The APC hereby releases the list of House of Representatives aspirants who participated in the screening exercise but were not cleared to participate in the Primary Election for the lower legislative chambers.
“The screening exercise was conducted by the party’s Screening Committees in line with established procedures and guidelines.”
Already, the concentration of the disqualifications in Ondo has triggered concerns within the state chapter, with some members alleging that the exercise targeted certain political camps ahead of the primaries.
Also in Rivers, their exclusion has deepened the rift between Fubara’s camp and that of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as the same screening panel had earlier cleared all major Wike allies, including House of Assembly Speaker Martin Amaewhule, for the primaries.
