We will win Kogi governorship election – APC

 Abuja – The All Progressives Congress (APC) on
Monday expressed optimism that it would win
upcoming governorship election in Kogi and warned
all aspirants and supporters to shun violence during
the process.
The assurance was given by the party’s National
Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, while
receiving the report of the committee which
screened the party’s aspirants for the election at the
party’s secretariat in Abuja.
Izunaso said that 28 aspirants were cleared to contest
the party’s primaries to pick its candidate for the
election, adding that the number of contestants was
an indication that Kogi was for APC.
He said that with three senatorial seats, six House of
Representatives seats and 75 per cent contribution in
the presidential election, it was no longer news that
Kogi had become an APC state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) has fixed Nov. 21 for the governorship poll in
the state.
Addressing the aspirants, who were at the secretariat
for the clearance, Izunaso said, ”the committee went
into details in the screening process and has cleared
all 28 aspirants. You are required to sign an
undertaking.
”It is not compulsory; it is optional but it is in your
own interest.
‘’The situation where we have 28 aspirants is a good
omen for our party; what it means is that people of
Kogi state believe in our party, Kogi is APC and APC is
Kogi.
”And, I am glad to note that of all the 28 aspirants,
the 28 of you have qualified. What it means is that
within this number that we are seeing here, the next
governor of Kogi state is here with us.
”In the next couple of months, one of you here will
be so addressed as ‘His Excellency, the governor of
Kogi state’ and that is why we want you to be law-
abiding and good members of APC.
”We don’t want chaos or violence; it is a family affair.
You know our opponents, the 28 of you are not
opponents, you are family members.”.
The gubernatorial aspirants signed undertaking to be
of good conduct, with their supporters in the entire
process of the primaries and election.
They were also required to abide by the party’s
constitution, the electoral guidelines and the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Screening
Committee, Mr Boss Mustapha, said that the
committee cleared all 28 aspirants because they all
met the requirements.
”Having gone through the original documents and
certified true copies submitted by the aspirants, we
found that their claims are correct thereby meeting
the constitutional requirement of the Electoral Act.
”Some of your documents we had to verify by going
to WAEC and some by calling the schools you
attended; we put it through a process.
‘’There was an acid test and we are satisfied that the
documents that were submitted by the 28 of you met
the constitutional requirements as prescribed by
law,” he sai