APC Screening Committee speaks on reported disqualification of Assembly aspirants

The All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee for aspirants into the Ebonyi State House of Assembly has reacted to reports that it disqualified some aspirants during their screening in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The Chairman of the committee, Valentine Akwuba, spoke on the reported development with newsmen in an interview on Tuesday.

He said that the committee, which has submitted its recommendations to the national secretariat of the party, did not disqualify anyone.

Akwuba said that no petition was submitted against any of the 24 aspirants as the committee painstakingly conducted the screening.

He said: “We documented the aspirants’ qualifications, expertise, party membership among other information as directed by the national secretariat.

“There was no stumbling block to a seamless process as the next step is appeal.”

Akwuba noted that the aspirants were charged no levy as all payments had been made on the purchase of forms.

“All payments were made to the national secretariat as the aspirants only presented themselves for screening,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker of the assembly, Chief Moses Odunwa, and the Deputy Speaker, Chinedu Onah, were among those screened by the committee.

Chisom Anyim, a son of a former Senate President, Pius Anyim, was among others also screened by the committee.