APC finally clears Gov Bello, 8 others for Kogi governorship primary

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has finally cleared nine governorship aspirants to participate in tomorrow’s Kogi State indirect primary election to produce its candidate for November 16, 2019 poll. The APC National Publicity Secretary Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu said in a statement released in the early hours of today that incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello, Hadiza Iyoma Ibrahim, Yahaya Odidi Audu, Sani Lulu Abdullahi, Engr. Abubakar Bashir, Engr. Danlami Umar Mohammed, Yakubu Mohammed, Hassan Abdullahi, and Mrs Ekele Aishat Blessing had been cleared.

Issa-Onilu said they were cleared after a comprehensive review of the submissions by the screening and appeal committees, relying on the party’s guidelines and the provisions of the Electoral Act.

He said seven other aspirants who did not meet the requirements for participation in the exercise were; Mohammed Seidu Onaili, Usman Oyibe Jibrin, Mustapha Mona Audu, Rukkaya Ibrahim, Gen. Patrick Adenu Akpa, Babatunde Ayo Kunle Irukera, and Muhammed Abubakar Unukwu Audu. Twelve out of the 16 governorship aspirants on the APC platform were initially screened out by a six-member Screening Committee headed by Senator Hope Uzodimma. Five more aspirants were cleared after a review by the APC NWC. Governor Bello, Mrs Blessing, Engr. Bashir and Hassan Abdullahi had earlier been given a clean bill of health to participate in tomorrow’s primary election by the screening committee. The outcome of tomorrow’s exercise can be challenged or appealed against on Monday, September 2, 2019.