This came to the fore after the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led presidential screening panel submitted its report to the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

Odigie-Oyegun, who did not mention the identity of aspirants disqualified or cleared to participate in the presidential primaries, said his committee’s findings was arrived at after considering the antecedents of the aspirants.

He revealed that it was a “pleasant surprise” to the panel that “98 to 99 per cent” of the aspirants agreed that the party is supreme on the issue of consensus and that whatever the party finally decides with proper consultation, they would likely accept. 

“We had only one exception who said yes, he will accept consensus so long as it is build on him. So, I think it is a point that needs to be made and emphasised. So, that gives you a lot of leeway in the days and hours ahead to trim down even more drastically. But, finally we think you should not be afraid for a contested primary if anybody insists on the contest,” he said.  

The former Edo State governor, who expressed satisfaction with the interest displayed by youthful members of the party for the plum job, admitted that all the aspirants met the basic constitutional requirements for aspiring to administer the country.

His words: “We had 23 member aspirants that we interacted with. We had a lot of others, prominent Nigerians both within and outside the country that had applied, but for whatever reason, could not proceed with their applications.~Guardiannews