By Chesa Chesa
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, on Saturday described the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening process as rigorous and credible following his appearance before the party’s panel at the Kaduna Governors Lodge in Abuja.
Speaking with journalists after the exercise, Hamzat said the screening was primarily designed to verify the authenticity of documents submitted by aspirants and assess their track records within the party.
“Today here at the Kaduna House in Abuja, the essence is to make sure that your credentials are correct. They validate everything you submitted to make sure there are no issues. What we submitted before, they validated, and then they will ask you questions”, he stated.
He explained that the panel carefully cross-checked all information provided by aspirants to ensure consistency and credibility, including their history within the APC. “So that’s the process — just to make sure that everything that you put down on paper is actually true, and to make sure that you’ve been a member of the party for some time,” he added.
Looking ahead to the APC governorship primary in Lagos State, the deputy governor expressed confidence in his chances, saying: “I’m very comfortable. I’m absolutely comfortable. But we’ll see. That’s the essence. It’s for our citizens, our party members. It is going to be their choice. I’m confident that at the end of the day, I will be the next Governor of Lagos State.”
Emerging from his win screening, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and now governorship aspirant in Bauchi State, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, described the process as smooth and routine, noting that his long-standing relationship with the party made the exercise straightforward.
Tuggar explained to journalists that the process required aspirants to present their original credentials before a panel of the party’s National Working Committee, and that given his extensive political background and prior participation in similar exercises, there were no surprises.
According to him, his history as a founding member of the APC and earlier involvement in legacy parties such as ANPP and CPC placed him in familiar territory, even as he highlighted his political and public service experience, including his tenure as a member of the House of Representatives, his diplomatic role as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, and having contested the Bauchi governorship in 2011 under the CPC and participating in the APC process in 2014, were well known to the party.
Tuggar expressed doubts about the possibility of a consensus candidate emerging in the Bauchi primary as he noted that the number of aspirants had surged unexpectedly, particularly with a last-minute influx of new entrants who obtained nomination forms just a day before the screening.
Addressing his third attempt at the governorship, Tuggar expressed optimism that the current political climate offers a different opportunity. He pointed to changes in the electoral framework, including stricter regulations against last-minute party defections, as well as the absence of an incumbent seeking re-election, as factors that could influence the outcome in his favour.
Also at the screening was former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, who described the process for the Gombe State governorship race as transparent, objective, and encouraging.
Speaking with journalists after his screening, Pantami commended the panel for what he termed a fair and respectful engagement with aspirants, noting that the exercise reflected a high level of professionalism. He said the process had been “very transparent, very objective, very friendly,” adding that the questions posed by the committee were thoughtful and handled with respect for all participants.
On his chances of clinching the party’s ticket, Pantami expressed optimism, citing his track record in public service as a key strength. He pointed out that his experience as Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and later as minister provided him with measurable achievements that distinguish him from other contenders.
Addressing speculations about a possible consensus candidate in the state, the former minister said he was not aware of any such arrangement, noting that the screening exercise itself signalled a level playing field for all aspirants.
He emphasised the importance of internal democracy, urging the party to ensure that its planned direct primaries are transparent, fair, and free from undue influence to safeguard both the APC and Nigeria’s democratic process.
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