23rd April, 2022
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been condemned for pegging its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at N100 million.
The condemnation came from a civil society organisation, Joint Action for Good Governance.
According to the group, such cost is not in the interest of ordinary Nigerians.
The Group made this known in a statement jointly signed by the National Vice Chairman and Secretary, Abdulwaheed Odunuga and Aderibigbe Razaq respectively, on Friday, in Lagos.
The APC had pegged its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at N100 million.
Governorship aspirants are expected to cough out N50 million, senatorial aspirants N20 million.
Aspirants for a seat in the House of Representatives are expected to pay N10 million each.
House of Assembly aspirants will pay N2 million.
Joint Action for Good Governance called for the immediate review of the nomination fees for aspirants seeking elective posts under the umbrella of the party.
It said the increase in nomination form fee was a deliberate move to disenfranchise the majority of the interested candidates in favour of the money bags and the anointed.
“Candidacy should not be chosen based on how wealthy they are, but on how creative they had been managing and solving public matters and societal problems.
The group questioned the justification of the party’s high cost for nomination forms, saying that it was not good for democracy.
It condemned the high costs, noting that it was too outrageous, not good for democracy, and insensitive considering the economic situation of the country.
“This action of APC was clearly insensitive and definitely not in the interest of the ordinary Nigerians with inalienable rights to seek and contest the elective positions.”
The group, therefore, suggested that the form fee for presidential aspirants should not be more than N25 million, while that of governorship should be pegged at N10 million, Senate at N5 million, House of Representatives at N2 million, and State House of Assembly at N1 million respectively.