The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, clears 15 of its 17 presidential aspirants.
A panel headed by former Senate President David Mark however rejected two aspirants for not meeting the requirements.
He listed the requirements as party membership, nationality, qualifications, evidence of tax clearance, possesion of voters card and financial capacity.
Mark neither disclosed their identities nor volunteered which of the criteria knocked them out.
He however said they could contest their disqualification through the party’s appeal process.
“Now don’t ask me those who have been cleared and those who have not been cleared because I won’t tell you.
“We haven’t released the result to them. So if you ask questions in that direction, you’re wasting time.
“We’re quite satisfied with the standard of the aspirants by and large. And we think that any one of them who gets the ticket would win the election in 2023.”
The party mopped up N646 million from the sale of forms to the 17 presidential aspirants.
Each of the 16 male aspirants paid N35million to purchase nomination forms and N5million for the expression of interest forms.
The lone female among them, Tariela Diana Oliver, however paid N5million for nomination and N1million for the interest form.
2023 PDP presidential aspirants
The 17 aspirants interviewed by the panel include
| Aspirant | State | Bio | ||
| 1. Atiku Abubakar | Adamawa | Former Vice President | ||
| 2. Anyim Pius Anyim | Ebonyi | Former Senate President, Secretary to Federal Govt | ||
| 3. Nwachukwu Anakwenze | Anambra | US-based medical doctor | ||
| 4. Udom Emmanuel | Akwa Ibom | Current Governor of Akwa Ibom State | ||
| 5. Ayodele Fayose | Ekiti | Former Governor of Ekiti State | ||
| 6. Mohammed Hayatu-Deen | Borno | Investment banker | ||
| 7. Chikwendu Kalu | Abia | Former Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly | ||
| 8. Dele Momodu | Edo | Magazine Publisher | ||
| 9. Bala Mohammed | Bauchi | Current Bauch State Governor and former Minister | ||
| 10. Cosmos Ndukwe | Abia | former Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly | ||
| 11. Peter Obi | Anambra | Former Governor of Anambra State | ||
| 12. Sam Ohuabunwa | Imo | Pharmacist and business leader | ||
| 13. Tareila Diana Oliver | Bayelsa | |||
| 14. Olusola Saraki | Kwara | former Governor, former Senate President | ||
| 15. Aminu Tambuwal | Sokoto | Current Sokoto State Governor | ||
| 16. Charles Ugwu | Enugu | Lawyer and businessman | ||
| 17. Nyesom Wike | Rivers | Current Governor of Rivers State & former Minister |
