Screening: APC Sends Message To Aspirants With Criminal Records

Nigerian Tribune

As parties prepare for their primaries, the screening committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to abandon aspirants with criminal records who may fail to disclose it to the party. 

The party warned that it would not come to the aid of any aspirant with cases of misconduct, including fraud and conviction, who does not use the opportunity provided by the screening exercise to divulge it before the panel. 

This was one of the issues raised on Sunday by the committee when aspirants for the National Assembly appeared for the exercise, some aspirants told Nigerian Tribune. 

Other questions posed to the aspirants covered evidence of disengagement from their place of work, payment of N7,600 annual dues and clearance in case of conviction. 

The committee, however, gave a window of opportunity for some aspirants who had issues with payment of annual dues and their credentials.

While those that defaulted on the dues were advised to rectify the problem in an office within the screening centre, those that complained that they forgot to come along with parts of their credentials were asked to bring them before the committee concluded its sitting on Sunday.

Each aspirant was also asked to state what he knew on the contents of the manifesto of the ruling party during the screening.

Besides, though a few of the aspirants filled the controversial form that required them to consent to withdraw from the race if need be, many left it blank since the court said such document was invalid and illegal.