Sixteen All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirants in Ondo State will be screened on Friday ahead of the April 20 primary.

They will be screened after the inauguration of the Screening Committee and the Screening Appeal Committee by the National Working Committee (NWC).

This followed the clearance of the 16 aspirants who purchased and submitted the expression of interest and nomination forms by the Vetting Committee headed by the National Legal Adviser, Prof. Abdul Karim Kana.

It was gathered on Tuesday from the APC Organisation Directorate that the seven-man Ondo State Gubernatorial Election Screening Committee are will be inaugurated on Friday by 9 am at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja.

The Screening Committee is to be chaired by former Gombe Deputy Governor, Senator Joshua Lidani while Hon. Bimbo Daramola will serve as Secretary.

Other screening committee members are: Pastor Jones Erue; High Chief Second Bakor; Magaret Duru; Prof. Chukwudi Ledirick and Hon. Abdul Rahim Balogun.

For the five-man Screening Appeal Committee, Senator Oseni Yakubu will serve as Chairman and Hon. Abu Bakar Nuhu Danburam will serve as secretary.

Others are Engr. Emmanuel Ekeh, Hon. Pious Idele and Hon. Ibrahim Magaji Dosara.

It was further gathered that the report of the Vetting Committee submitted on Monday cleared all the 16 aspirants to appear before the Lidani Screening Committee on Friday.

The report by the committee dismissed the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The report reads: “Based on the findings of the vetting process, the committee recommends that all aspirants are cleared to participate in the screening exercises.

“The Vetting Committee is confident that the vetting process has been conducted with integrity and transparency.

“The committee’s recommendations are aimed at ensuring that only qualified and credible aspirants are presented for the party primaries, in line with the party’s commitment to internal democracy and good governance,” it added.

Also, it was gathered that the Organisation Directorate has grouped the 16 governorship aspirants into four baskets and time was allotted to each of the baskets for the effective screening of all the aspirants.

The party had slated the screening of aspirants for the 11th and 12th of April but the extension of public holiday to mark this year’s Eld- fitir has forced the party to conduct the exercise on Friday.

The first screening basket has Governor Lucky Ayiedatiwa; former National Vice Chairman (South West) Hon. Isaccs Kekemeke and Olusola Adewale Ehinlanwo.

Former Chief Executive Officer, Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) Olugbenga Omogbemi Edema will lead the pack in the second screening basket. Others in the pack are Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Engr. (Mrs) Olufunmilayo Waheed Adekojo and Akinfolarin Mayo Samuel.

The third screening basket has Hon. Adewale Akinterinwa, Chief Olusola Alexandria Oke (SAN), Ohunyeye Olumide Felix, Barrister Morayo Lebi and Garvey Oladiran Iyanjan.

The last screening basket has Prof. Francis Adebayo Faduyile, Engr. (Mrs.) Omogoroye Folakemi Judith, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele and Omo’Oba Okunjimi Odimayo John.

Confirming the screening arrangement, a party official in the Organisation Directorate, who spoke in confidence, said that all the aspirants have been informed on the time to appear before the screening committee.

According to our source, “the screening exercise is to commence immediately after the inauguration of the screening committee and the screening appeal committee billed to hold by 9 am. We have equally notified all the aspirants when to appear before the screening committee.” (The Nation)

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