The All Progressives Congress on Wednesday directed the five presidential aspirants contesting on its platform to sign an undertaking ahead of its primary on December 10.
This was disclosed during the presentation of certificates to all the aspirants who scaled through the party’s screening on December 2.
Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, while explaining the reason for the decision, said: “We want our aspirants to sign letters of commitment to the party to assure the party that they’re running to offer service.
”To improve the well being of Nigerians, to improve security and for the others to support the winner by collapsing their structures into the party so that the party can move into the elections united.”
Before presenting the certificates, Onu said he was impressed by the scores of the aspirants who, he testified, were thoroughly grilled to ascertain their competence for the nation’s top job.
He said: “Yesterday, we met for hours with the aspirants.
“During that exercise, we found these men are so distinguished that there’s not one that won’t make great difference for the country.
“During the screening, we took the members through a very rigorous path.
“We tested their understanding of the nation’s problems and I’m happy, satisfied with the quality of people running for president on the APC platform.
“I want to also reveal to you that the scores were very narrow and very high.
“The least scored 62 per cent, while the highest scored 78 per cent.
“The second even scored 77 and the third 75.
“It was a close call.”
Responding on behalf of the aspirants, General Muhammad Buhari commended the party for putting together a competent screening committee.
Buhari said: “We are very grateful to our great party for organising such a competent team to interview us.
“We went through the mill yesterday on foreign affairs, security, economy and the impact of what our personal decisions are to the polity.
“It is a very trying time for the five of us and we’re grateful that they’ve been very generous in their award of marks and that we all made it and the rest of the decision now is left largely to the delegates.
“The secretary has read the letter, which we were made to sign yesterday, so that the loyalty to the party will be supreme.”
The General, alongside Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Dr. Sam Nda-Isaiah and Governors Rochas Okorocha and Rabiu Kwankwaso passed through the screening on Tuesdayand were successful.