By-elections - APC clears all aspirants for Sept 3 primaries

The Governor Mai Mala Buni-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee on Tuesday said there are no preferred, pre-determined or anointed aspirants for September 3 party primaries for legislative by-elections in 8 states of the country.

The party also cleared all 56 aspirants to contest the federal and state constituencies by-election to be conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on October 31.

These were contained in a statement by the deputy national publicity secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, in Abuja.

According to Nabena, the clarification became necessary in reaction to a statement by an APC Chieftain, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla alleging an attempt to “foist” a predetermined candidate in the forthcoming Cross River North Senatorial District by-elections.

The statement reads: “Under the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee, the Party is already moving in a new and progressive direction whereby things are done properly and internal democracy is the norm.

“The party will continue to give all aspirants a level playing field while also ensuring that only those with impeccable records and are popularly elected are presented as APC candidates in all elections.”

In the same vein, ahead the October 31 concurrent legislative by-elections by INEC, the party’s Screening Committees have cleared all aspirants who purchased and returned expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the Party’s Primary Election scheduled for Thursday 3rd, September, 2020.

From the approved list, Imo North Senatorial district is leading the pack with 11 aspirants while Cross River North Senatorial district and Plateau South Senatorial district have 5 aspirants each jostling for the party’s tickets.

Bayelsa Central and Bayelsa West Senatorial districts have four aspirants each while Lagos East Senatorial district has only one aspirant.

From the array of the 30 aspirants for the senatorial tickets, three are females, with two from Imo North Senatorial district and one from Plateau South Senatorial district.

For the State House of Assembly elections, out the 12 aspirants that procured the nomination and expression of interest forms for Kosofe State Constituency only one aspirant returned his form on Monday. It was gathered that the aspirants in the contest may have reached a consensus to throw up the only aspirant that submitted his form.

Five aspirants are to slug it out for the party’s ticket for Ibaji State Constituency of Kogi State while four aspirants are pencilled down for Bakura State Constituency, Zamafara State and one aspirant each for Nganzai State Constituency, Bornu State, Bayo State Constituency, Bornu and Obudu State Constituency, Cross River State.