APC rejects 32 Fubara loyalists amid deepening rift with Wike
By Daniel Abia, P/Harcourt
The renewed political tension between the minister of the federal capital territory, FCT, Barr Nyesom Wike, and the Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, took a dramatic twist as the House of Assembly Screening Committee of the All Progressive Congress, APC, disqualified all 32 aspirants adopted by the governor.
Meanwhile, the four-man committee cleared all 29 serving members of the State House of Assembly loyal to Wike, led by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, to contest the APC primaries for the Assembly poll in 2027.
The House Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, was said to have picked the nomination form for the House of Representatives.
A total of 98 aspirants were screened by the State House of Assembly Screening Committee for the APC.
A copy of the committee’s report after a two-day screening conducted on Saturday and Sunday at the APC Secretariat in Port Harcourt was obtained on Monday.
The report was signed by Rt Hon. Muraina Ajibola (Chairman); Hon. Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, Secretary; Abdullah Hajia Aisha Abdullahi Adamu, member; and Hon. Danjuma Samuel, member.
According to the report, the committee said it adopted a transparent, orderly, and participatory procedure designed to ensure fairness to all aspirants, saying it screened all 98 aspirants who turned up.
“The Screening Committee constituted by the National Working Committee of the Party respectfully submits its report on the screening exercise conducted for aspirants seeking nomination under the platform of the Party for election into the Rivers State House of Assembly for the 2027 General Elections.
“The Committee discharged its mandate with diligence, fairness, transparency, and fidelity to the democratic ideals and progressive principles of the Party,” it added.
The committee further said the exercise was largely peaceful and orderly, adding that aspirants conducted themselves with maturity and decorum throughout the exercise, except Mr Victor Oko-Jumbo, who insisted on entering the screening venue with a retinue of security aides, thereby resulting in a disagreement with officers of the Nigeria Police Force on duty.
“The security agents successfully put the situation under control, and the screening continued smoothly.”
The committee also said one of the aspirants attempted to bribe its members and was handed over to the police.
“In the course of the Committee’s sitting, Mr Tonye Garrick Tom-George, an aspirant for the Asari Toru 1 seat, approached the Committee and handed over an envelope containing money together with his passport photograph in an apparent attempt to improperly influence the screening process. The incident was reported to the police.”
While noting that the committee received petitions against some aspirants from some concerned persons, it said aspirants presented complete and satisfactory documentation even as discrepancies observed in some submissions were duly noted.
From the report, the three pro-Fubara lawmakers, Oko-Jumbo, Hon. Sokari Goodboy and Timothy Orubibanugha, were disqualified as well as a notable ally of the governor, Chijiole Ihunwo, among other loyalists.
“The Committee respectfully recommends the following aspirants who successfully satisfied the requirements of the screening exercise and are hereby CLEARED to participate in the Party primaries for the Rivers State House of Assembly elections: Maol Dumle (serving deputy speaker), Major Jack (serving House leader), and Enemi Alabo George (serving House spokesman),” among 30 others.
The committee listed 10 reasons for the ‘non-clearance’ of the other aspirants as follows: ‘nominations by persons who are not financially up-to-date members of the Party, contrary to Article 9.3 of the Party Constitution; inducement and attempted bribery of committee members; submission of unsworn affidavits; failure to present voters’ cards; failure to present party membership slips or cards; and conflicting dates of birth.’
Others are ‘failure to confirm payment of membership dues by nominators, irregular party membership numbers of nominators, inconsistencies in names appearing on submitted documents, insufficient nominators with required numbers which fall short of three nominators per ward and invalid affidavits that failed to disclose material particulars relating to NECO certificates’.
“The Committee is satisfied that it diligently and faithfully discharged the responsibility entrusted to it. The screening exercise was conducted in substantial compliance with the Constitution and Guidelines of the Party and reflected the democratic spirit for which the Party stands,” the report concluded.
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