From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has revealed that no fewer than 28 presidential, 145 guber, 351 Senate, and 1,197 House of Representatives aspirants will appear before the newly-inaugurated screening committees ahead of the party’s primaries.
Speaking while inaugurating the screening committees to drill the aspirants jostling for elective offices, the National Organizing Secretary, Amb Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, promised that the ruling party will present credible candidates to fly its flag at all levels.
Argungu, while inaugurating the screening committees, in Abuja on Saturday, also rolled out the breakdown of the various elective offices.
“Let me on behalf of the National Chairman and National Working Committee welcome you all. You have been selected to do the first segment of our transition to the 2023 election. That is to screen our gubernatorial aspirants, the senatorial aspirant and indeed the members of the House of Representatives, respectively.
“We have a so far 145 aspirants for the Senate and we have constituted three panels to screen the governorship aspirant. We also have 351 aspirants that has also purchased and returned the senatorial aspiration forms. While we have 1197 aspirants for the House of Representatives with 10 panels.
“The panels for the Senate is going to be four. In addition to that, we have the guideline of our great party that will be given to each of the panels for screening and indeed the Appeal Committee.
“We also have a set of guidelines an aspirant assessment and verification form that will be given to each of the committee for the screening and also each of the panel will be given collections of the forms names, expression of interest forms and the guidelines of our party, each of these for guidance.
“We expect that this work will be done between today and tomorrow, these are gentlemen who are also conversant with this type of job, we believe this is not going to be a big assignment to all of you and we pray you will do justice to all the aspirants so that by 2023 we will have very good credible candidates that are going to contest on the platform of our great party.
“As we all know, with the love people have for the APC, we are also appreciative to have credible leaders that will add value to the party in the 2023 election. The three panels for the gubernatorial candidates will be here in Fraiser Suite Hotel and the four-panel for the senatorial candidate will also be here while that of the House of Representatives will be communicated soon.
“The screening for the presidential candidates we have so far 28 aspirants and as you are aware some aspirants have started withdrawing their aspiration and as such on the 23rd of May this month they will be screened,” he said.
