Senator Rochas Okorocha, one of the presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has appeared before the party’s seven-man 2023 Presidential Screening Committee.
Okorocha appeared before the committee on Tuesday night, May 31, in Abuja.
The lawmaker, representing Imo West in the Senate, had been under the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N2.9 billion fraud case.
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He was, however, granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja early Tuesday and was to pay N500 million for his bail with one surety in like sum.
The possibility of Okorocha appearing before the APC Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led presidential screening committee for screening had been a topic of political discourse following his ordeal in the hands of the EFCC.
The trial Justice, Inyang Ekwo granted the former Imo governor bail after dismissing a counter-affidavit the EFCC filed against him.
EFCC had through its lawyer, Mr Gbolahan Latona, urged the court to allow Okorocha remain in custody, alleging that he posed a flight risk.
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The prosecution alleged that Okorocha not only breached the administrative bail it earlier granted him, but equally made himself inaccessible, a situation that led to his forceful arrest on May 24.
He told the court that the former Imo governor, who was facing a 17-count money laundering charge, had the capacity to interfere with some of its proposed witnesses.
Okorocha was the last aspirant to be screened by the APC 2023 presidential primary on Tuesday night.
Other aspirants screened by the committee were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, and Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate.
The committee had on Monday screened 12 presidential aspirants, including Pastor Tunde Bakare and Sen. Bola Tinubu, one of the party’s leaders and a two-term former governor of Lagos State.
APC Special Convention for its presidential primary had been fixed for June 6 and 8 at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
