Oshiomhole Withdraws From Presidential Race, Undergoes Senatorial Screening

The former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has withdrawn from the 2023 presidential race.

Naija News recalls that the former Edo State Governor had announced his intention to represent Edo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

On the occasion of his 70th birthday in Edo in April, Oshiomhole had promised to ensure that the people of the senatorial district are well catered for if elected in 2023.

In a new twist, the former APC national chairman on May 4 expressed his desire to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the APC platform.

However, Oshiomhole was screened on Saturday for a ticket to contest the Edo North senatorial election by the APC screening committee.

The former Edo governor was screened in Abuja and would contest for the seat with the current APC Senator representing the constituency, Francis Alimikhena.

Meanwhile, Oshiomole was not listed among APC presidential aspirants who bought the N100 million APC presidential forms and have submitted the documents.

Twenty-five presidential aspirants successfully submitted their forms and are set to face the screening panel of the ruling party on the 23rd of May.

Those who beat the deadline include Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwunmi Adesina; immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

Other presidential aspirants whose nomination forms were received were former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Niger Delta Development, Sen. Godswill Akpabio; former Imo State governor, Sen. Rochas Okorocha; and former Ogun State governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun.

Others were Pastor Tunde Bakare; Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; his Ebonyi State counterpart, Gov. Dave Umahi; Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State, Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba; former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and former Zamfara State governor, Sen. Ahmed Yerima.

Also on the list of presidential aspirants that submitted were Senator Ajayi Borroffice; the only female aspirant, Mrs Uju Kennedy Ohnenye; Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo; former House of Representative Speaker Dimeji Bankole; former Minister of State, Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva; former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu; and Mr Tein Jack Rich.