The All Progressives Congress’ presidential screening committee has disqualified 10 aspirants from its primaries scheduled for June 6-7, 2022.
The Chairman of the Committee, John Oyegun, who stated this Friday, said 13 out of the 23 aspirants screened were cleared by the committee.
When asked about the identity of the disqualified aspirants, Mr Oyegun declined to disclose the names.
Oyegun added that contrary to rumours making the rounds, it didn’t screen former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The committee held the screening exercise between Monday and Tuesday this week.
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Cleared aspirants are expected to contest the presidential primary at a scheduled special convention in Abuja between June 6 and 8.
Meanwhile, some supporters of former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday besieged the All Progressives Congress headquarters, demanding his adoption as the party’s consensus candidate.
Jonathan is yet to formally declare a presidential bid.
The former president’s name was missing from the list of those the party cleared for screening.
In April, he did not give a clear response to the calls for him to run for office of the president when some of his supporters stormed his home in Abuja.
“You are calling me to come and declare for the next election. I cannot tell you I’m declaring. The political process is ongoing. Just watch out,” he had said.
The former president also disowned a northern coalition who purchased the APC presidential form for him.
Addressing reporters in front of the APC secretariat in Abuja, Umar Waja, speaking on behalf of the group, said Jonathan would steer the country to the “promised land” if elected president.
“We are calling on President Buhari and the national working committee (NWC) under the distinguished leader of Senator Abdullahi Adamu to adopt Goodluck Jonathan as their consensus candidate for the betterment of this country,” Waja said.
“We saw what he did during the last six years when he was piloting the affairs of this country. We need him at this crucial time because Nigeria needs to be united and we believe that he will be the only person that will unite this country so that he will take us to the promised land to where we ought to be and where we should be.
“Mr President has made it clear that as far the governors are concerned they have adopted their own concept of bringing out their successors so they should also allow him to bring his successor that is why we want Mr President to bring in Jonathan as consensus candidate.
“At this crucial time, we know Jonathan will lead this country very well. If Jonathan is the consensus candidate, he will win the election convincingly.”
