The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified ex-felon Senator Bassey Edet Otu from the Cross River state governorship race over his conviction in 1987 and discrepancies in educational qualifications.

“Senator Bassey Ede Otu was disqualified by the Screening Committee (Governorship). We also received a petition dated 14th May, 2022 from Messrs B.I Dakum & Co. against the nomination of Senator Bassey Otu,” according to the APC.

The petition disqualifying Mr Otu, signed by APC committee chairman, Suleiman D. Fakai, and secretary, Chidi Nwogu, which was seen by Peoples Gazette, had cited the senator’s 1987 conviction over fraud charges and inconsistency in his educational background.

“The Committee, after due scrutiny of the content of the Petition and the supporting documents, found no evidence to substantiate the allegation of conviction of the aspirant before any court of law,” reads the document.

“However, with regards to the allegation of his questionable academic credentials, subjects could neither produce his First School Leaving Certificate nor his WASC.

“He could only produce his secondary school testimonial. In the circumstances therefore, the Committee has no option than to declare this matter as inconclusive,” the document added.

Prior to his disqualification, Mr Otu was the anointed candidate of incumbent governor Ben Ayade. With his support, the senator emerged as the consensus governorship candidate for the APC in the state.

The new development may rattle Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun, whose re-election bid has met stiff opposition from other party members over his undisclosed past criminal records of forgery and credit card theft in the U.S.

It is unclear if Mr Abiodun would suffer the same fate in Ogun state as a petition demanding his disqualification had also been submitted to APC national chairman Abdullahi Adamu.