Screening committee cites bribery attempts, document irregularities, and membership violations as key reasons for mass disqualification ahead of primaries

The internal crisis rocking the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has deepened following the disqualification of 65 House of Assembly aspirants by the party’s screening committee.

The committee, chaired by Hon. Muraina Ajibola, announced that only 33 aspirants—largely believed to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike—were cleared to participate in the party’s forthcoming primaries.

According to the committee’s findings, the disqualified aspirants, many of whom are reportedly aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and APC chieftain Tonye Cole, failed to meet key eligibility requirements and were implicated in multiple infractions during the screening process.

Top among the reasons cited for their disqualification were allegations of inducement and attempted bribery of committee members, raising concerns about the integrity of the screening exercise.

Other grounds for disqualification included the submission of unsworn or invalid affidavits, failure to present valid voter cards, and inability to provide verifiable party membership slips or cards.

The committee also flagged discrepancies in personal data, such as conflicting dates of birth and inconsistencies in names across submitted documents. In several cases, aspirants were unable to confirm payment of membership dues by their nominators or presented nominators with irregular party membership numbers.

Additionally, some aspirants failed to meet the minimum requirement of three valid nominators per ward, while others submitted affidavits that did not disclose essential details regarding their academic qualifications, particularly their NECO certificates.

The outcome of the screening is expected to intensify political tensions within the Rivers APC, where rival factions loyal to Wike and Fubara have been locked in a prolonged struggle for control of the party structure.

As the primaries approach, party stakeholders and observers are closely watching how the leadership will manage the fallout from the screening exercise and whether aggrieved aspirants will challenge the decision.