January 24, (THEWILL) – The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports of a purported screening and disqualification of some aspirants of the party for the 2024 gubernatorial election in the State.
Peter Uwadiae, Edo APC Publicity Secretary, made this known to newsmen in Benin City, on Tuesday.
Uwadiae was reacting to reports of a six-man committee led by the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Prof Julius Ihonvbere.
The Committee was set up last Monday by some leaders of the party to look into ways to prune the number of aspirants to a manageable number. The committee was said to have screened the number of aspirants to 10, then 6 and finally four.
However, Uwadiae said the Ihonvbere committee was only an advisory committee.
“There is no truth in the news making the rounds that governorship aspirants have been screened and about 25 have been disqualified.
“Based on the advice of the National Working Committee of the party, we set up a committee led by Julius Ihonvbere to interface with the aspirants on the need to reduce the number of aspirants to a manageable one. It is after the close of the sale of forms that the NWC will set up a screening committee.
“The Committee also advised the Edo APC to be in a talking relationship with the aspirants so that those who know they cannot go all the way can exit the race. So, no aspirant has been screened and disqualified,” he added.
Uwadiae also said that the sale of expression form, which costs N10 million, and the nomination form, which goes for N40 million, were on sale for anyone who wants to vie for the governorship position on the platform of the APC, noting that more aspirants are expected to join the race.
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