The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has screened its sole presidential aspirant, Sandy Onor, alongside 25 governorship aspirants drawn from 17 states ahead of its upcoming primaries.

According to reports, that the screening exercise took place on Thursday at the PDP Legacy House in Abuja as part of preparations for the party’s internal elections.

In a statement issued by the party’s National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, the faction said it was moving ahead with its electoral timetable following what it described as the resolution of its leadership crisis by the Supreme Court.

Nnorom stated that the court had affirmed the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee, which now oversees the faction’s activities.

According to her, only one presidential aspirant and 25 governorship hopefuls were screened, while others who were not ready were given additional time to complete their documentation.

“The PDP will screen only one presidential candidate and 25 governorship aspirants from 17 states. Others are still perfecting their documentation for another screening opportunity,” she said.

The party also confirmed that the presidential screening committee was chaired by former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, while the governorship screening panel was led by former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi.

Speaking after the exercise, presidential aspirant Sandy Onor expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy, describing it as a necessary step to reduce corruption and unlock development funds.

He said Nigerians had long acknowledged that the subsidy system was riddled with inefficiencies and corruption, adding that the decision to remove it created fiscal space for national development.

However, Onor called for stronger accountability in how the released funds are managed to ensure tangible benefits for citizens.

A Plateau State governorship aspirant, Kefiano Ropshik, said he had been cleared after his screening, describing the process as a major milestone in his political journey.

In Nasarawa State, aspirant David Ombugadu claimed he had won the 2019 and 2023 governorship elections, citing results from the INEC iREV portal, and urged stakeholders to strengthen electoral transparency.

Other aspirants screened during the exercise included Kelechi Anosike, Onuogbu Ogba, Kayode Ogunshola, Hazeem Gbolarumi, Samson Nnamani, Mustapha Lamido, David Emmanuel, Oladimeji Hassan, Alex Ladan, Adamu Ahmed, Suleiman Kawu, and Mohammed Bello.

The faction announced that its governorship primaries will hold on May 24, while the presidential primary has been scheduled for May 26.