Two presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP have fallen by the wayside.
They will not be participating in the party’s forthcoming primaries billed for the 28th and 29th of May, 2022.
Chairman of the nine-man screening committee, Senator David Mark who disclosed this while chatting with journalists Friday, said a full report will be forwarded to the party’s National Working Committee, NWC.
It is still unclear why the committee refused to release the names of the two aspirants who have been eliminated from the race.
But the Committee Chairman said the sum of N40 million expended by each of the disqualified aspirants on the collection of the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms shall not be refunded.
Since the news broke, tongues have been wagging across the country, with many, particularly supporters of presidential aspirants, anxiously trying to ascertain what the situation is.
Thus far, the identities of the two contestants asked to discontinue from the race are not yet known.
Similarly, no reason has been given for the decision taken to unload them at this stage of the contest.
The two persons axed by the committee who may be in the know of what actually transpired when they faced the panel set up by the party have not reacted either.
With two aspirants out of the way, 15 others, including Governor Nyesom Wike, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Ayo Fayose, are remaining in the race.
Some more aspirants may be forced to drop out of the race after the May 4, 2022, meeting which will deliberate on the place of zoning in the PDP.
While there are forces pushing for zoning which is captured by Article 7 of the PDP Constitution, others, are insisting zoning may rob the party of the glamour that competent and qualified representation brings to the table.
Atiku Abubakar who was screened by the committee later took to his verified Twitter handle to express happiness, saying the downpour in Abuja could not dampen the joy he felt after facing the panel.