Heavy security as APC screens Rivers Assembly aspirants

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has commenced the screening of aspirants for the House of Assembly, a crucial step in consolidating its political presence in the state. The exercise, held under a heavy security presence at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt, saw 98 aspirants, including prominent figures like the current Speaker Martin Amaewhule and all sitting Assembly members, undergo scrutiny. This significant turnout underscores the intense political maneuvering within the state as parties prepare for future electoral contests.

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Everything is going on well and we hope and pray that, all other things being equal, our party is becoming a popular party here and will take over the Rivers State as it is now with the governorship. Also, all the members of the House of Representatives and all senators will be ours. Of course, we expect that this time around the votes for our President will be very heavy; it will run into millions.

The APC leadership, represented by the screening committee chairman Ajibola Muraina and state spokesperson Chibike Ikenga, expressed confidence in the party's prospects. Muraina articulated a clear ambition: to sweep all positions, from the governorship down to the House of Assembly, and secure a substantial vote for the President. This reflects a broader national strategy by the APC to maintain and expand its dominance across the country.

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The exercise, as you have seen, is very structured, peaceful and organised. The screening is just to be sure that those who are aspiring to represent us and fly the party’s flag meet the conditions as prescribed in the constitution and the Electoral Act as amended.

From a Rivers State perspective, this screening is more than just a procedural step; it's a signal of the APC's intent to wrestle control from the incumbent governor's party. The presence of former factional Speaker Victor Omo-Jumbo, a loyalist of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, among the APC aspirants, highlights the complex political realignments and potential defections occurring within the state. The APC's assertion that the process is structured, peaceful, and organized aims to project an image of a disciplined party ready to govern, while also preparing its candidates for the rigors of primaries and the general election.

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Everybody will have the opportunity to properly test his popularity through the acceptance of leadership and members of the party in whatever way, through consensus or direct primaries. And whoever is chosen as the party’s candidate, all of us will rally round them to defeat any other political party that is fielding candidates.