The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has announced that the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dennis Guwor, and 45 other aspirants have been cleared to contest the party’s upcoming Assembly primaries. The decision follows a two‑day screening exercise held at the party’s secretariat in Asaba, during which a panel of officials examined the credentials of 82 hopefuls.
The screening committee, chaired by Dr Uche Uzochukwu with Dr Chiedozie Nwafor as secretary, released its verdict in a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday. After a detailed verification of eligibility requirements, 46 candidates were deemed to have satisfied the party’s criteria, while 36 were disqualified for various breaches of party guidelines.
Among the successful candidates, Guwor emerged as the sole aspirant cleared for the Warri South‑West constituency. Seventeen incumbent lawmakers from the eighth Assembly seeking re‑election also secured clearance, alongside three former state commissioners – Funyei Manager (Bomadi), Harry Trakirlowei (Patani) and Orode Uduaghan (Warri North).
The committee cited several grounds for disqualification. Some aspirants were found to have attempted to induce or bribe panel members, while others submitted unsworn affidavits, failed to produce permanent voter cards, or could not provide valid APC membership certificates. Inconsistencies in dates of birth, name discrepancies across official documents, and incomplete ward‑nominator lists further raised concerns. A number of candidates also neglected to confirm payment of party dues or provided nomination forms with irregular membership numbers.
Additional infractions involved alleged violations of zoning arrangements within certain constituencies – a matter the committee warned could jeopardise the party’s prospects in the 2027 general elections if left unaddressed. Several aspirants were also non‑compliant with the Electoral Act’s requirement to resign from political appointments before seeking office, and some submitted multiple or otherwise invalid affidavits that failed to disclose required personal and academic information.
In its statement, the screening panel affirmed that the process was conducted with “fairness, diligence and utmost commitment to the integrity of the party,” emphasizing adherence to APC rules and the Electoral Act. The exercise, the committee added, was intended to strengthen internal democracy ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The APC congratulated the cleared aspirants and urged those who were disqualified not to view the decision as final. Unsuccessful candidates may appeal to the party’s Screening Appeal Committee for redress.
The outcome sets the stage for the forthcoming primaries, which will determine the APC’s slate of candidates for the Delta State House of Assembly. How the clarified candidate list influences intra‑party dynamics and the broader electoral landscape will become clearer as the party moves toward the 2027 elections.
