Diri, who is also the Bayelsa State Governor, gave the charge in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while addressing governorship aspirants in four states in the South-South region where elections would be holding next year.
He assured the aspirants from Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Cross River that there will be no favouritism in the screening exercise, saying the committee will treat all aspirants equally.
“As you know, this screening is not to witch-hunt anybody. We will strictly abide by the party’s constitution and the guidelines set out for this screening.
“Therefore, we thought it was expedient to invite you, to also interact with you and to assure you that we are here as your brothers, as your colleagues and your friends.
“And that we will not do anything untoward towards you. And that everybody who has applied and the party has so forwarded your name will be screened.
“What is at stake you all know and we all know. It’s so much that we are all desirous of our party once again coming back on top as the party that will deliver this country from the current flood that we have in Nigeria.
“And as governorship aspirants, you are indeed the light as you come to join me and other governors to deliver Nigeria to what we know about Nigeria that we all will be proud to say I am a citizen of Nigeria,” Governor Diri stated.
Meanwhile, some of the aspirants who spoke to journalists after the screening late on Thursday disclosed their plans for their states.
A governorship aspirant from Akwa Ibom State, Unoh Enoh, said with the screening over, he was putting his eyes on how to win the party’s ticket next month.
“The process was okay. They just verified our originals that we submitted. The process was simple and smooth.
“The next step is to face the primaries and we are ready and we will win,” he stated.
Another aspirant from Akwa Ibom, Senator Bassey Albert, said he has a five point agenda to transform the state if he scales through the primaries.
“This is not the first time I will be screened by a committee. So it is a normal process. The next stage is for me to win the primaries.
“For me, we have what we call a positive agenda. We intend to make positive impact in the lives of our people within the shortest possible time,” Albert said.
On his part, a governorship aspirant from Delta State, Senator James Manager, said he would build on the template of the current Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to develop the state.
“I have been screened and hopefully I will be cleared. This is not the first time I am being screened, but several times, and I have always come out very clean.
“Chances are at the primaries. Everything is in the hands of God. I’ve been doing my best. My dear delegates, please cast tour votes for me, you will be very happy (to have me) representing you,” Manager stated.
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