The All Progressives Congress has disqualified aspirants linked to Governor Siminalayi Fubara while clearing candidates aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in its screening for the Rivers State House of Assembly elections.
The decision was announced Sunday in a report by the APC Screening Committee set up by the party’s National Working Committee. The committee said 33 of 98 aspirants were cleared for the primaries, while 65 were dropped.
The screening held May 9-10 at the APC State Secretariat on the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway.
The committee said it acted in line with the 1999 Constitution, the APC constitution, and electoral guidelines.
Among those cleared were Maol Dumle, Major Jack, Nwabochi Frankline, Tonye Smart Adoki, Hope Ugwumadu, Kenneth Minimah, Arnold Davids, and Gerald Oforji – all seen as loyal to Wike’s political structure.
Disqualified aspirants linked to Fubara included Victor Oko Jumbo, Fubara Goodluck Ohaka, Prince Emukuighro Fubara, Tonye Briggs Oniyide, Reuben Vincent Obu, Karibi Bobmanuel, and Tamunobaraiba George.
The committee gave reasons including nominations endorsed by financially delinquent members, unsworn affidavits, missing voter’s cards and membership slips, inconsistent documents, conflicting dates of birth, and irregular nominator details.
Petitions from party members across Rivers’ 23 LGAs alleged that some nominations were endorsed by persons who failed to meet Article 9.3 financial obligations under the APC constitution.
The report also said Tonye Garrick Tom-George, aspirant for Asari-Toru 1, attempted to induce the panel with money in an envelope alongside his passport photo. The incident was reported to police.
The exercise was largely peaceful, the committee said, except for an altercation involving Victor Oko Jumbo, who tried to enter with security aides against screening rules. Police intervened and the process continued.