The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday assured that the party would provide a level-playing field for the governorship aspirants in Kogi State.
Speaking while inaugurating the Screening Committee ahead of the primaries scheduled for August 29, Odigie-Oyegun, who was represented by the Deputy Chairman (South), Mr. Segun Oni, also promised that the screening of the aspirants would be free, fair and transparent.
The seven-man committee has Mr. Boss Mustapha as the chairman and Ambassador Lawal Munir as the secretary. Other members include: Hon. Emmanuel Ufuoma, Chief Geoffrey Ufuru, Mrs. Tina Adike, Mrs. Ekwy Oyindo and Mr. Bashir Sheriff Machina.
The National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, hailed the high level of interest in the election, pointing out that to qualify to contest, aspirants must be duly registered and financially up to date.
He said five members of the party from different local governments must nominate an aspirant to qualify.
Izunaso told members of the committee that they had the responsibility to scrutinise every certificate brought before them by the aspirants, stressing that any aspirant who poses an obstacle to the screening of his certificates should be disqualified.
“All aspirants must sign the party’s code of conduct. The screening will be done in line with the 1999 constitution as amended. Only the aspirants cleared will go for the primaries,“ the national organising secretary said.
He said there would also be a separate screening appeal committee for aspirants who were not satisfied with the work done by the screening committee.