By Peter Okutu
The screening for aspirants contesting senatorial and House of Representatives seats in Ebonyi State ended over the weekend as four aspirants were disqualified from running in this year’s general election.

Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Screening Committee for National Assembly aspirants’ in Ebonyi State, Mr. C. M. C. Onuoha, who disclosed the news of the disqualification of some aspirants, noted that about 50 contenders were cleared.

Onuoha described the exercise as successful and peaceful, stating that those who failed to scale through the screening had been referred to the Appeal Screening Committee.

“The screening went successfully, it was well done, they conducted themselves very well and almost all of them were cleared.

“The very few who did not scale through, I don’t think they are more than three or four, will go to the screening committee,” he said.

Onuoha expressed gratitude to the national leadership of the party for giving him and other members of the committee the opportunity to serve and thanked the aspirants, the state government and state PDP for their cooperation.

He urged Ebonyi State Chairman of PDP, Chief Dave Umahi, to be fair to all the aspirants so that the best will emerge in order for the party to win the elections, noting that the party will suffer if an unpopular candidate was imposed on the people.

Among the successful aspirants who received provisional clearance certificate include incumbent senators, Anyim Ude, Anthony Agbo and Emmanuel Onwe.

Also cleared are incumbent House of Representatives’ members, namely Darlington Okereke, Sylvester Ogbaga, Elizabeth Ogbaga, Christopher Omo-Isu and Innocent Ugo-Chima.

Those cleared to contest the senatorial primary elections of the party include Engr. Ben Okah, Igwe Nwagu, Marcel Nwokporo, Sen. Offia Nwali, Felix Mgbada and Anthony Igwe (for Central district); Dennis Ekumankama, Sunni Ogbu-Orji, Udorji Okoro, Sylvester Oduko and Julian Onu (South District), and Chief Chris Nwankwo for North District.

On the other hand, those cleared to contest the House of Representatives positions were: Onwukaike Nwambam, Aja Nwabueze, Linus Okorie, Francis Ude Orji, Edwin Anayo, Chijioke Uwa, Solomon Onwe, Joseph Egwu and Peter Oge-Ali.

Others are; Okpani Oti, Eze O. Eze, Okolo Lilian Uzoma, Obinna Ogba, Hilary Egwu, Moses Ogodo Ali, Carol Ben-Ewa, Ikechukwu Nwobo and Oke Edwin Awoke.

Reacting to the clearance, the aspirant contesting Afikpo North South Federal Constituency, Hon. Eze o. Eze called on the party to provide equal playing field to all the aspirants and express optimism that he would win at the polls in this year’s general elections.