The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied claims that aspirants loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, were given preferential treatment during the party’s House of Assembly screening exercise, while those perceived to be aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara were deliberately denied clearance.
Speaking to journalists at the APC State Secretariat in Port Harcourt, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Chibuike Ikenga, described the allegations as false and misleading. He maintained that Wike is not a member of the APC and had no role in the screening exercise.
Ikenga stated that the screening process was peaceful, transparent, and conducted in line with party procedures. According to him, out of 98 aspirants screened, 33 were cleared while 65 were not cleared.
He explained that the party had already constituted an appeal committee to review complaints from dissatisfied aspirants, noting that the process had continued without disruption.
Chairman of the Appeal Committee, Abdul Mahmud, confirmed that the panel received a detailed report from the screening committee containing the names of aspirants who were cleared and those denied clearance.
Mahmud explained that the screening exercise involved verifying credentials and conducting interviews before the panel made its decisions.
The screening exercise was conducted in two stages. Aspirants appeared before the panel, their credentials were examined, they were interviewed, and the committee produced its report,” he said.
