Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has emerged as the sole presidential aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the party’s presidential primary.
Obi was screened on Tuesday by the party’s 17-member screening committee headed by former Ebonyi State Governor, Sam Egwu, at the NDC national headquarters in Abuja.
The development followed the closure of the party’s sale of presidential nomination forms on Monday, with Obi reportedly remaining the only aspirant to purchase the form.
According to reports, the NDC had earlier extended the deadline for the sale of forms for other aspirants until May 26, but no other contender emerged before the close of sales.
Obi arrived at the screening venue around 6:45 p.m., dressed in his trademark black kaftan and cap. He was accompanied by Senator Victor Umeh and later submitted his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms through an aide.
His arrival came shortly after Egwu, who chairs the screening panel, entered the venue for the exercise.
The NDC had earlier inaugurated the 17-member screening committee to oversee the screening of aspirants for presidential, governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives positions.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Secretary, Barrister Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, the party said Egwu, a former senator and two-term governor of Ebonyi State, would serve as chairman of the committee, while the party’s National Legal Adviser, Barrister Reuben Egwuaba, would act as secretary.
Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has remained one of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures, attracting significant support among young voters and urban residents during the last election cycle.
Credit: dailytrust.com
