03/06/2022
Committee quizzes Osinbajo, Lawan, Fayemi, others, As Senate President Says He is ready to support Buhariâs consensus candidate.
In a dramatic turn of events, former Imo State governor and presidential aspirant, Senator Rochas Okorocha, last night perfected his bail conditions and made it to the venue of the screening of presidential aspirants, just as the screening exercise formally ended yesterday.
Also, the APC Presidential Screening Committee quizzed and cleared the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmed Lawan; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabioand the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Screened too were the Governor of Cross Rivers State, Professor Ben Ayade; Mr. Tein Jack-Rich, former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu and a former Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of Federal High Court, Abuja, had admitted Okorocha to bail in the sum N500 million in the alleged N2.9 billion fraud charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ekwo in a ruling held that the fact and circumstances of the case warranted the court to admit him to bail to adequately prepare for his trial.
The court, however, held that Okorocha must remain in the custody of the anti-graft agency until he met the bail conditions.
Accordingly, personnel of the commission took him into custody just as he stepped out of the courtroom, with fears that he might not make his conditions and as such would be unable to make to the presidential screening of the party, which held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Earlier, his media aide, Dr. Ebere Nzewiuji, had told THISDAY, in a telephone chat that his bail condition was being perfected, and that âhopefullyâ he would make the screening.
Meanwhile, Senator Lawan has said he was ready to support any of the aspirants that the party decides to pick as a consensus candidate.