The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disqualified two out of its seventeen presidential aspirants on the grounds that they did not meet the requirements set by the screening panel.
The development was disclosed to journalists by the Chairman of the Screening Committee, Senator David Mark shortly after the conclusion of the screening exercise at the party’s Legacy House, Abuja, on Friday.
Mark, who declined to reveal the identities of the disqualified aspirants said the aspirants simply did not meet the requirements set by the panel.
According to him, “The exercise, as far as we’re concerned, went on very well. We’ve been here since morning, and I’m sure you people have been here since morning also.
“We’ve been very thorough this time. See how much time we’ve taken to screen each individual who has been here. We screened 17 aspirants, which is quite a number. We cleared 15 and two have not been cleared.
“Now, don’t ask me those who have been cleared and those who have not been cleared, because I won’t tell you. We haven’t released the result to them. So, if you ask a question in that direction, you’re wasting time.
“I think, on the whole, that’s what we’ve done. And we’re quite satisfied with the standard of the aspirants by and large. And we think that any one of them, who gets the ticket, will win the election in 2023.”
Asked what the committee found wrong with the disqualified aspirants, Mark said, “They didn’t meet the requirements and I can’t be more specific about that.”
He added that the report of Friday’s screening would be transmitted to the PDP National Working Committee for consideration immediately, “and then those who were not cleared have a right to appeal. I’m sure they will go on appeal because there is an appeal panel.”
Speaking on the 15 aspirants, who scaled the screening process, the former Senate President expressed positivity on their performance if any emerged the flag bearer of the party in the 2023 election.
Meanwhile, the 17 aspirants screened for the Presidential position included governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers; Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Bala Mohammed of Bauchi; and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom; Teriela Oliver, the only female aspirant in the race; former Anambra State governor Peter Obi; former Senate President, Pius Anyim and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Others were former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose; ex-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa; a United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze; Publisher, Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu; former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe; Charles Ugwu; Chikwendu Kalu, and an investment banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
