APC: No presidential hopeful disqualified — but they had different grades

Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says no presidential hopeful was disqualified from contesting the party’s primary.

On Friday, the screening panel headed by John Oyegun, a former APC national chairman, presented its report to the APC chairman.

Oyegun had said the panel came up with a shortlist of 13 contenders out of the 23 presidential hopefuls who presented themselves for screening.

Speaking with the journalists on Saturday, Adamu said the screening is like an examination where students come out with different grades.

“I want to say very clearly that no aspirant has been disqualified. It’s like sitting in an exam,” he said.

“Even if you pass, there is grading. There is a first class, second class upper, third class, ordinary pass.

“So no aspirant was disqualified. Incidentally, the president has invited all of them to a dinner today.”

TheCable had reported that 13 presidential hopefuls were categorised in the “safe list” by the Oyegun-led panel, while the other ten presidential hopefuls did not make the shortlist.

Those included in the “safe list” are Tinubu, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation; Ahmad Lawan, senate president; Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi; Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti, and Emeka Nwajiuba, former minister of state for education.

Others are Ogbonnaya Onu, former minister of science and technology; Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun; David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi, Muhammad Badaru, governor of Jigawa; Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom; and Tein Jack-Rich, an oil magnate.

The other 10 aspirants that were not included in the “safe list” are Tunde Bakare, Rochas Okorocha, Ben Ayade, Sani Yerima, Ken Nnamani, Ikeobasi Mokelu, Demeji Bankole, Felix Nicholas, Uju Ken-Ohanenye, and Ajayi Borroffice.