FORMER Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the publisher of the Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Sam Nda Isaiah, Tuesday appeared before the Chief Ogbonnaya Onu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
Nda Isaiah, who was the first to be screened, reiterated his resolve to stamp out corruption in the polity if elected in 2015.
Lamenting the appalling situation of power supply in the polity, he said: “Under my government, we are going to be very hash on corruption. For me, the chief fighter of corruption is not the EFCC or ICPC, but the president himself. If the President’s body language did not favour corruption, I can guarantee you that nobody will engage in corruption or any other forms of malpractices.”
On the issue revolving around the venue of the presidential primaries, he said: “We just advise the party that Eagle Square remains the best place for the primaries. We did not kick against Lagos, but we believe that Abuja is more convenient to all.”
Kwankwaso, who took his turn to be screened, said he is looking forward to be issued a certificate of clearance today just as he aligned himself with the position of Nda-Isaiah on moving the party primary from Lagos to Abuja.
Kwankwaso, who said he has the reach in both the APC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to ensure victory for the APC at the poll, said the choice of Abuja would save delegates from the far North the rigours of not only getting accommodation, but also travelling long distances to Lagos.
Atiku described the screening session as a ‘hot seat’ as he was made to take the panellists through the journey of how he intends to take Nigeria out of the woods if elected in the 2015 poll.
Atiku, who disclosed that he remains the most prepared among the presidential aspirants of the party, said that he had almost traversed the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) canvassing for delegates’ votes. He also said he would abide by the decision of members of the convention committee to hold the party’s primary in Lagos.
Meanwhile, as at 5.30 p.m. yesterday, Buhari and Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State were yet to be screened by members of the screening committee.
Before the commencement of the screening session, Onu, who gave assurance that all the presidential aspirants of the party would be screened in tandem with the provision of the law, said the APC would produce the candidate that would defeat President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 poll.
Shedding light on the activities of the screening committee, Onu said, among others: “We will take into consideration the constitution of our party, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, 2010. We will be doing something that is novel in this country because we will really want to effect change in the country. We want to produce a candidate that will effect change in the country, a candidate that will be able to address the problems confronting our nation.
“We also would want every aspirant that will be successful of the screening to give a commitment that at the end of the exercise, including the aspirant that will become the candidate of the party, that they will collapse the structures we now have into the party so that it will become united and move in the same direction for success in the forth coming presidential election.
Other members of the screening committee were Ambassador Babagana Jida, Senator Bukola Saraki, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, Tunji Abayomi, Prof. Dennis Abgonlahor, Matamaki Tom Maiyashi and Ambassador Fatima Balla.
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