All Progressives Congress (APC) has began the screening of aspirants for its April 5 primary election preparatory for the November 8 Anambra State governorship polls.
Those screened on the first day of the exercise are a former APC national auditor, Paul Chukwuma, Prof. Obiora Okonwko and Nicholas Ukachukwu while Chukuma Umeoji, Onunkwo Johnbisco Obinna, Valentine Ozigbo as well as Edozie Madu will be assessed today.
Inaugurating the screening committee chaired by the former governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, APC national chairman,
Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, tasked the panel on fairness in carrying out its assignment to prevent post-screening litigations.
“We have confidence in you to do justice in what you are assigned to do. Ensure that you don’t leave some gaps to make us face some litigations either within the party or outside the party,” Ganduje said.
Addressing journalists shortly after he underwent the exercise, Chukwuma said he was ready for the party’s primary irrespective of the mode (direct, indirect and consensus) and main poll.
The former APC national auditor said as the founding member and one-time national officer of the party, he had built the platform over the years, hence the delegate would nominate him to fly the broom flag.
“I was well prepared for this and it went very well and I am happy to say that we are ready for the election in line with the party’s programmes and I’m hopeful that at the end of the day I will be elected by our party delegates to fly the flag and I am quite convinced by the special grace of God, APC will take the reign of power in Anambra State with me as the candidate of the party and eventually the governor.
“The outcome of what we are seeing today is a product of so many years of hard work by myself and a number of progressives that are with me in this journey. So I’m happy and the party has its constitution, its programmes, what is important is you always know that the election process is a democratic process and we should allow anybody who feels he is qualified to contest.
“But at the end of the day, this is a party primaries, our party members are more than excited to have me as the candidate of the party and our brothers that have joined us, of course will be more than happy to join hands with me in taking rein of cleaning up Anambra state and giving Anambra back to Anambra.
“All the aspirants are talking to me because I’m the oldest member of the party and I also need to guide them and draw their attention to the discipline and culture of the party. So, in fairness to them, they have been consulting me, they have being talking to me and we have a very good relationship as colleagues,” Chukwuma added.
