2019: APC aspirants run to President Buhari over ‘outrageous cost of nomination forms’

Aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have cried out over what they tagged as ‘outrageous cost price’ of nomination forms into various elective positions for the 2019 general elections.

The aspirants said the cost price as proposed by members of the APC National Working Committee was a deliberate attempt to rubbish the President Muhammdu Buhari government.

It was gathered that the party had during the week proposed N1m for State Assembly, N3. 3m for House of Representatives, N8.5 for Senate, N22.5m for governorship and N55.5m for presidential nomination forms restrictively.

Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved aspirants, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, said the price tag is corruption and must be rejected.

According to him, “As progressives and anti-corruption crusaders of the APC-led administration, we expected the leadership of the party (National Working Committee) to reduce the price of nomination form from it’s existing cost to accommodate the recently signed into law bill of Not Too Young To Run, instead, the NWC has proposed over 300 percent increment on it , making the APC unfriendly to many credible aspirants.

“Nigerians are beginning to ask, what is the difference between the PDP and the APC? If the PDP sells nomination form for N600,000, the APC is supposed to sell the same for N200,000, where the cost of APC nomination form is higher than all other political parties in the country, is an attempt to ridicule the anti-corruption war of President Buhari.”

The aspirants also frowned at what they termed inconsequential on the new electoral guidelines of the party, which allows direct primary for the presidential leaving the choice of electoral method for the states to choose.

He added, “We must do things in a manner that Nigerians should not begin to laugh at us, how can we have a direct primary for the Presidential and another method for other elections, this is inconsequential?

“We call on the leadership of the Party to introduce direct primaries at all levels, this will take away the criticism that may trail aftermath of any delegate elections. It is a form of participatory democracy which will not only increase the confidence of our party but its candidates facing the general elections.”

“We believe in the leadership of our great Party, especially our National Leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari, Sen. Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Comrade Adams Oshiomole. The time to save our party is now.

“We sincerely appeal that we must not sell forms above that of the PDP, if possible, lower, because any attempt to sell the nomination form at the present proposed cost, may send more people out of our great Party a ahead of the general elections.”