Ahead of its primaries, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna on Wednesday began the screening of aspirants for the Senate and House of Representatives at the party’s secretariat, Kawo, Kaduna.
Chairman of the Kaduna State National Assembly Screening Committee, Yusuf Dingwadi, told journalists shortly after a meeting with the aspirants and other stakeholders that the committee would ensure equal treatment, fairness, and a level playing ground for all the aspirants.
According to him, 76 aspirants, comprising 63 House of Representatives aspirants and 13 senate aspirants, would undergo the screening between Wednesday and Friday when the exercise was expected to end.
“We have started on a good footing as we had earlier met with party officials and stakeholders in the state.
“Today, we discussed with the aspirants to hear from them while we also told them our mission, and terms of reference we are to work with.
“We are starting the screening this afternoon with the serving members of the senate and house of representatives,” he said.
Dangwadi further disclosed that 63 aspirants had purchased and returned their forms for the house of reps and 13 for the senate.
“Let me quickly add that we need to do a good job to come out with the finest candidates because Kaduna is dear to the PDP due to its position in northern politics.
He assured aspirants of a level playing ground, adding that as a team, the party had resolved that no one would influence the exercise as the party belonged to all.
One of the aspirants, Paulina Ahmed of Sabon Gari, Zaria, said the process had been going on well with the expectation that it would end well.
“As you can see, the screening is going on well, and we hope it would be like that till everyone was screened.
“I urge the leadership of our great party to remember its promises to give few women, who are aspiring the opportunity to represent their constituencies,” she said.
Another federal constituency aspirant of Chikun Kajuru, Maria Samuel Dogo, also described the process as good, transparent, and void of suspicion, urging the committee to maintain the tempo.
