Ekiti State Governor and Chairman, Aspirants Screening Committee of the 2026 APC National Convention, Biodun Oyebanji, has assured aspirants contesting for national office at the forthcoming national convention, that the screening committee would ensure that the process is conducted with utmost transparency, fairness and justice to all.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the inauguration of the screening committee and its inaugural meeting at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Governor Oyebanji assured aspirants that the panel would strictly adhere to the guidelines set by the party.
While emphasizing that all aspirants are bonafide members of the APC and deserve a level playing field throughout the screening exercise, the Governor said that the committee would be guided by the constitution of the party as well as the electoral act in discharging its responsibility
When asked what the aspirants should expect from the screening committee, the Ekiti State Governor said “We are going to be transparent, we are going to be fair and we are going to be just to all of them. They are party members and the party has guidelines that guide what we are going to do, so we are going to do everything in accordance to the constitution of the party and the electoral act”.
Expressing confidence that the committee’s work would further strengthen internal democracy within the APC and position the party for success in the forthcoming general elections, Oyebanji assured that the screening process would be thorough, and in the best interest of the party.
Earlier, the committee’s Deputy Secretary and former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shuaibu, outlined the operational template, disclosing that about 38 aspirants would be screened for various positions.
Shuaibu explained that to ensure a seamless exercise, the National Working Committee (NWC) positions have been divided into three groups adding that each category would be handled by designated members of the screening panel.
According to him, the arrangement would enable the committee to complete the process within the one-day window set aside for the exercise.
In his remarks, the co-chairman of the committee, Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State, noted that the excercise is viewed as a critical litmus test for the party’s internal democracy, stressing that the panel’s work carries weight far beyond party lines, describing it as a “selfless service” to Nigeria’s broader political stability.
Other prominent members of the committee in attendance at the well- attended meeting include: former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani; former Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda; former Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade; former Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Tanko Almakura; Senator Osita Isunaso, and other committee members.
