The All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State Screening Committee cleared 33 aspirants to contest the state House of Assembly primaries on Monday [1].
This selection process determines which candidates can run for office in 2027, effectively shaping the party's legislative strategy in Rivers State. The results reflect the committee's effort to filter candidates based on internal party criteria before the general elections.
The screening exercise took place over Saturday and Sunday at the APC party secretariat in Port Harcourt [2]. The committee, chaired by Muraine Ajibola, evaluated a total of 98 aspirants who participated in the process [3].
Reports on the number of disqualified candidates vary among sources. Punch Nigeria reported that 65 aspirants were disqualified [1]. However, TVC News and NaijaNews reported that 56 candidates failed to meet the screening criteria [3, 4].
The committee said that the disqualifications were based on the aspirants' failure to meet the party's established screening requirements [1, 3]. The remaining 33 cleared candidates will now proceed to the primary elections to secure the party's nomination for their respective constituencies.
This exercise is part of a broader effort to organize the party's ranks ahead of the 2027 cycle. The screening process is intended to ensure that only those aligned with the party's standards, and guidelines, are permitted to represent the APC in the House of Assembly [1].
“The committee cleared 33 aspirants and disqualified a number of others from contesting.”
The discrepancy in the number of disqualified candidates, ranging from 56 to 65, suggests potential confusion or conflicting reports in the initial release of the committee's findings. Regardless of the final count, the high volume of disqualifications indicates a stringent vetting process designed to consolidate party loyalty and ensure candidates meet specific ideological or administrative benchmarks before the 2027 elections.
