By Ezeocha Nzeh
The All Progressives Congress ( APC) on Tuesday inaugurated its screening and special congress committees for the various states with a charge to ensure justice to all aspirants that purchased and submitted its Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to contest elective positions in the 2023 general elections.
APC National Organizing Secretary, Alhaji Sulaiman Argungu, who gave the charge during the inauguration of chairmen and secretaries of screening committees for State Houses of Assembly aspirants and special congress committees to elect the party’s Local Government, State and National Delegates, said that any aspirant that goes against Section 84(3) of the amended Electoral Acts would be disqualified.
Argungu, who described the screening of aspirants as one of the critical segments of transition in the forthcoming 2023 general elections, noted that the committees’ chairmen and secretaries would be provided with working guidelines.
“It is the proof of payment receipt that qualifies each aspirant to contest, you should also check their sponsors, and if anybody goes against Section 84(3) of the Electoral Acts as amended, he stands disqualified.
“All these and more are in the guidelines that will be given to each group, and also, we will provide each group with aspirants’ assessment verification forms.
“You will endeavour to follow diligently to ensure you do justice to each of the aspirants who purchased forms and submitted same,” Argungu said.
He charged the committee members to do justice to all aspirants and use the provided guidelines as a guide.
Earlier, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari, APC Deputy National Chairman, North, said screening of aspirants was one of the critical segments of transition in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
“This is the foundation of all the primaries; we have just conducted the screening of the gubernatorial, senatorial and House of Representatives aspirants.
“But the basic foundation is what you are going to do, which is the election of Local Government and State delegates,” he said.
Kyari added that after seven years of being in power, the APC-led Federal Government could beat its chest to say it had achieved what other administrations was not able to do.
“Therefore, this transition is very key to leave a lasting legacy for President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We are at the verge of electing new leaders for the post-Buhari era and that is why you are chosen to spearhead it.
“Politics is dynamic and ambition is dynamic, you will face challenges, but that is why you are there to tackle those challenges,” he said.
The party`s primaries had been slated to begin on May 20, with the governorship primaries, while its presidential primaries had been fixed for May 30 and June 1.
