* Sam Ohuabunwa scales through
The screening committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Friday night, disqualified two of the 17 presidential aspirants seeking its ticket to contest the 2023 election.
Their names were not made public immediately. Fifteen other aspirants were however cleared by the panel.
Consequently, both disqualified aspirants are to forfeit the N40 million they paid each for the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.
The primary election will be held in May.
Chairman of the committee and former President of the Nigerian Senate, David Mark, said those disqualified did not meet the criteria for participation in the primary, but have the right to appeal against the panel’s verdict.
The appeal committee is headed by the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
“Now don’t ask me those who have been cleared and those who have not been cleared because I won’t tell you,” Mark said.
“We haven’t released the result to them. So if you ask questions in that direction, you’re wasting time.
Among the criteria are membership of the party, nationality, qualifications, evidence of tax clearance, voters’ card and financial capacity.
Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa
The report of the committee has been submitted to the leadership of the party.
“We’re quite satisfied with the standard of the aspirants by and large. And we think that any one of them who gets the ticket would win the election in 2023,” Mark said.
The 17 aspirants screened included the 2019 presidential candidate of the party, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the former Speaker House of Representatives, Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, two-term governor of Kwara State and immediate past president of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, former President of the Senate and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
Other aspirants were former Minister Federal Capital Territory and Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, former Minister of State for Education and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, 2019 PDP Vice Presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, a United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze; and Journalist, Dele Momodu.
Also screened were Investment banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; former Chairman of Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe, Charles Ugwu, as well as the only female aspirant in the race, Tareila Diana, Chikwendu Kalu.