20th April, 2022
All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the fees aspirants will pay for various elective offices, with the presidential nomination form pegged at N100 million.
The fees were made known at the party’s emergency National Executive Committee meeting which was held at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the party, governorship aspirants will pay N50million, senators N20 million, Representatives, N10 million and state house of assembly aspirants N2 million.
By way of contrast, the opposition PDP charges N40 million for presidential nomination form.
Before the ratification of the fees for nomination forms, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman cautioned members against divisive tendencies, as 2023 general elections approach.
He reminded the party’s stakeholders of the experience of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014 and how it lost the presidential election in 2015 due to disunity.
Adamu said that the APC must be guided against complacency by remaining united if it must continue in its winning ways.
He also cautioned the party’s past governors against undermining serving governors in their states, saying that they remained the party’s leaders in their respective states.
“The APC Constitution states that serving governors are the state leaders, therefore the past governors must act like statesmen and provide guidance,” Adamu said.
He said that the party constitution only recognised serving governors as their state leaders, adding that there was no need for competition and rivalry between past and serving governors.
He said that the ego causing disunity between past and serving governors and other leaders of the party in some of state could pull the party down if not properly handled.
This, he said, could affect the party’s electoral victory in the 2023 general elections.
Adamu didn’t mention names, but two past governors have tried to lord it over the incumbents.
One of the states with such disharmony is Zamfara, where Abdulaziz Yari wanted to lord it over Governor Bello Matawalle.
Unable to have his way, Yari has announced his move to the opposition PDP, along with a former senator Marafa.
In Osun state, former governor Rauf Aregbesola, now minister of the interior, also tried to destabilise the party in the state.
He plotted to prevent Governor Gboyega Oyetola from being fielded as candidate for a second term.
His plot however collapsed. But his supporters said they are moving to the little known, Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Adamu said going forward the party’s slogan would be APC first.
He, however, added that the National Working Committee (NEC) was open to suggestions on how to move the party forward, saying that it doesn’t have monopoly of knowledge.
Some dignitaries at the meeting included President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC governors, state chairmen and other members of the National Working Committee (NEC).
APC governors were led to the meeting by the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu.
APC NEC is the second highest decision making organ of the party.