The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday subjected aspirants for presidential, govenorship and National Assembly offices to questions and answers before the various screening committees ahead of the forthcoming primary elections.
APC fixed presidential primary election for May 23; governorship and State House of Assembly, May 20; Senate, May 18 and House of Representatives primary election, May 15, 2026.
While APC had waived screening requirement for Tinubu, it subjected the other presidential aspirant, Osifo Stanley and serving governors seeking re-election and those aspiring for the Senate, including Hope Uzodimma(Imo), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) - senatorial aspirants and Pastor Umo Eno(Akwa Ibom), racing for second term.
Governorship aspirants seeking fresh election who also appeared for screening include: Lagos State deputy governor, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi), Senator Mustapha Saliu(Kwara), Senator Solomon Adeola(Ogun) Abdul Fatai Yahaya(Kwara) and Dr Bakari Girei (Adamawa).
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Others are: Ahmed Aliyu Wadada(Nasarawa), David Kente(Taraba), Mascot Uzor-Kalu(Abia), Prof. Isa Pantami(Gombe), Mustapha Salihu(Adamawa), Geoffrey Kuraun(Benue), Terwase Orbunde(Benue), IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, Rtd(Nasarawa).
Speaking with journalists after the screening, the presidential aspirant Osifo said he was still in the race and has not been asked to step down for Tinubu by anyone or group.
"The party has not told anyone to step down. The party has not mentioned anything like that. We have not discussed stepping down. I have never discussed anything about stepping down with anybody.
"Screening is not something you go for without expecting some form of rigorous and challenging situation. But I think we are one party, and I presented everything I had to present," he stated.
Also fielding questions from journalists, Uzodima , who is aspiring for Imo West senatorial district said he was in the race
to represent his people and abide by whatever rules he meets, adding that his aspiration was not informed by another inordinate ambition.
He also said the decision of the Nigerian Democratic Congress(NDC) to zone the presidential slot to the south would not affect Tinubu's chances.
Uzodimma said, "We're not threatened by any. First of all, this party that zoned the presidential ticket the South--where is their head office?"
Also speaking with journalists, the Lagos aspirant, Hamzat expressed confidence in his chances, saying, "I'm very comfortable. I'm absolutely comfortable. But we'll see. That's the essence.
"It's for our citizens, our party members. It is going to be their choice. I'm confident that at the end of the day, I will be the next Governor of Lagos state."
Addressing journalists
former Minister of Foreign Affairs and governorship aspirant in Bauchi State Tuggar called for transparent primaries expressing doubt over possiblity of consensus.
"To be honest, it is unlikely that there is going to be a consensus in Bauchi State... it is important that any fraudulent or untoward practice is not entertained by the APC,"he stated.
For his part, Pantami he was not aware of any consensus arrangement arrangements in Gombe State.
"I'm not aware of anything like this at the moment because, since we were invited for screening and we have been screened here, it is an indication that at least the party at the national level has given each and every Nigerian a level playing ground.
"What is important is not only the direct primaries, but that the direct primaries must be very transparent, very fair, and at the same time very independent," he said.
Briefing journalists at the end of the screening of incumbent governors seeking re-election on the APC ticket at the Plateau State Governor's Lodge, the National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda doused tension over the delay in screening of Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara for a second term bid on the platform of the party.
Yilwatda said there was no cause for alarm over the development, stressing that some governors were absent due to official engagements in their respective states.
"Why are you singling one governor out of many? He is not here. But why single him alone? The governor of Kwara has not come also. So three governors have not come," he said.
Reminded that the concern was specifically about Rivers state, he replied: "that is why I am saying why Rivers alone when three governors have not appeared? All of them have their excuses and reasons why they are not appearing."
"We know they are chief executives of their states and have state issues to attend to. So any governor who has issues to attend to -- Kwara, Ebonyi and Rivers states -- we excused him.
"Governors are chief executives; they are commanders. Anytime you are free, you call the screening committee, we give you a room, you come at your will and convenience, and we will screen you," he said.
Reacting to the decision by the NDC to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, the APC chairman dismissed suggestions that the ruling party was threatened by the move.
"Not at all. Why should we be afraid? If you look at it now, the fight is not between APC and ADC or within our political party, but ADC versus NDC," he said.
Yilwatda said recent developments in the opposition camp have vindicated the APC against claims that it was responsible for destabilising rival parties.
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"Now everybody has seen clearly that it is the opposition fighting themselves. So when you talk about having problems or challenges, why should we be afraid?" he stated.
Yilwatda argued that the APC remained electorally dominant across the country, insisting that opposition parties had failed to record meaningful victories in recent elections.
"All the by-elections--ADC has won none. In other by-elections, NDC has won none. The major opposition we have is actually PDP. And even the PDP has not done very well in terms of electoral performance. Performance is not on TV, it is not on radio; it is in newspapers, it is on the field during elections," he added.
On the claim that the NDC had recorded a surge in the number of lawmakers joining its fold, the APC chairman downplayed the significance of the defections.
"Who are the members? What number are you talking about? Seventeen legislators. We have over 400 legislators. Compared to 17, it is just a meagre number that has moved.
"Thirty-one governors are still intact. We have over 600 local government chairmen. APC is the most prepared, most outstanding political party that right now can face anybody on earth. I have not seen a party that can give us a headache," he added.
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