Emeka Ibemere
Political
party nomination forms are actually selling like hot cakes in Nigeria. That is because the rich politicians who can
afford see money as nothing. The forms may have become one of the most expensive
items relative to the respective niche.
Apparently
the Nigeria political party forms are most expensive things in Africa and ahead
of the 2015 general election in Nigeria; aspiring candidates are not finding it
easy purchasing the various party nomination forms of their parties.
There are huge indications that the cost of
picking the forms may have literarily killed ambitions of some aspirants who
have indicated interest to go for the political positions that have been
declared vacant for replacement in 2015. Across different party spectrum the
cost of party nomination is as high as 58 carat gold.
Nigerians
aren’t comfortable with the nomination price tag of political parties as the
aspirants go head to head in picking the forms from their different party
secretariats.
It was
gathered that most of the aspirants seeking to become the candidate of Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in some States are worried when the party’s national
leadership insisted they must pay the mandatory N12 million each for the
nomination forms for those vying for the Governorship election. Investigation
also showed that aspirants for the State House of Assembly need to cough out
N1million, each, while House of Representatives aspirants are to pay N2million.
Those going for senate are expected to dole out N4million while the
presidential hopefuls are to pay N20million. All the payment is not refundable.
They are
expected to also pay N1million each for expression of interest form, bringing
the total fee payable to N11 million.
The chairman
of PDP was reported to have told the aspirants that the party is expecting all
interested persons to pay the mandatory N10 million for the nomination form,
while the expression of interest form also goes for N1million.
The
insistence on the payment of the N10 million nomination fee, it was gathered,
made majority of the aspirants developed cold feet, as Muazu told them that,
that was what aspirants from Anambra State paid during the governorship
contest. Before Ekiti election, Ayodele Fayose, Dayo Adeyeye and Ayo Arise paid
the amount before the primaries, where Fayose won. Daily Newswatch gathered
that
Some
aspirants are begging that the price of the nomination forms be dropped to
between N5million and N2.5 million, a suggestion the NWC out rightly rejected.
It would be
recalled that in 2011 general election, the Peoples Democratic Party allegedly made
about N5.2bn from the sale of forms of interest and the nomination forms to its
members, who are contested the 2011 general elections on its platform.
For the 2015
election, there are indications that over 3,000 aspirants across the nation had
paid for the nomination of party forms because of the November Primaries which
is close at hand for various positions.
The price
for 2015 nomination forms were increased as against 2011 when nomination forms
were not as high as next year’s election
The party
had set precedence with Anambra State where the party pegged expression of
interest form and nomination form for governorship election at N1million and
N10million respectively. The same sum was paid by governorship aspirants in
Ekiti and Osun states.
Previously,
governorship aspirants paid N5million for nomination forms and N500, 000 for
expression of interest form.
However,
sale of the forms have commenced across the country considering the date fixed
by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for primaries.
For All
Progressive Congress, APC, a document released by the party on the prescribed
fees, the party’s presidential aspirants are to cough out N27.5 million for
presidential nomination form, the governorship aspirants are to pay N5.5
million for fresh governorship aspirants and N10.5 million for sitting
governorship aspirants. Sitting senators are to pay N5.3 million while fresh
senatorial aspirants are to pay N3.3 million.
In the same
vein, sitting House of Reps members who want to contest are to pay N3.2 and
fresh aspirants are to pay N2.2 million, while sitting House of Assembly
members are to pay N800, 000, and N550, 000 for fresh aspirants. All female
aspirants to any position, however, are to pay 50 percent less.
However, the
Alliance for Democracy (AD) kicked against high cost of nomination forms. The
party says the high cost of nominations forms for aspirants in some political
parties could lay foundation for corruption.
The party,
in a statement released on Sunday noted that the price tag could turn politics
into a business, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
“If
occupying elective office requires selling of properties or acquiring loans,
some of the members of the political class will see an elective position as a
business and an opportunity to increase their wealth,” according to the
statement signed by Rafiu Salau, the party’s National Secretary.
“The high
cost of these forms will turn politics to business and that is a sure
foundation for corruption.
“Alliance
for Democracy does not see politics as business. It is for the service of the
people. Contesting for elective positions is to contribute to the development
of the constituencies in particular, and the nation in general,” the statement
read.
While the
ruling party has agreed on President Goodluck Jonathan as the Peoples Democratic
Party’s consensus candidate for the 2015 presidential election, the president
will have to pay N20 million for the party’s nomination form. For the All
Progressives Congress (APC) whose nomination form is sold for N27m. AD however
said it was giving out its forms free to all aspirants vying for positions.
The party
said its decision was because “the elective positions are not for the
candidates, but the people.
Meanwhile,
an aspirant for the Benue House of Assembly, Mr Joseph Boko, has called on the
All Progressive Congress (APC) to reduce the cost of its nomination forms so as
not to block quality aspirants from contesting. Boko is vying to represent
Kwande constituency.
According to
him, the high cost placed on the nomination forms will exclude most aspirants
and affect the party’s chances of winning the 2015 elections.
Boko, who
picked his nomination form last week at the party’s state secretariat, and said
he was going into the race to improve the quality of legislation and enhance
the living conditions of the people, adding that the expression of interest
form for the state house of assembly which costs as over N600, 000, is much and
regretted that many aspirants might not afford it.
He believed
that reducing the cost of the forms would throw the contest open and provides
the enabling environment for the best candidates to emerge.
“The high
cost of nomination forms shows no ideological difference between the APC and
the ruling PDP, which has also hiked the cost of forms beyond the reach of its
ordinary members.” According to him, the APC as grassroots political party,
needs to have the right candidates to enable it uproot the PDP in the 2015
general election.
While
purchasing the N25 million nomination forms at the APC’s national secretariat
Buhari lamented the high cost of the nomination form, but said that he was
fired by his ambition to procure a bank loan through the assistance of an
unnamed bank chairman.
Buhari
procured his party’s N27.5 million expressions of interest and nomination forms
at the national secretariat but lamented that the costs of the forms were high,
he said that it took the understanding of his bankers in Kaduna and Abuja to
raise the money.
“It’s a pity
I couldn’t influence this amount to be put down as in the case of ladies and
the disabled that intend to participate. I always looked left and right in our
meetings but I could not read sympathy, so I kept my trap.
“But I felt
heavily sorry for myself because I don’t want to go and ask somebody to pay for
my nomination forms, because I always try to pay myself, at least for the
nomination.
“N27 million
is a big sum, thankfully I have personal relationship with the manager of my
bank in Kaduna and early this morning, I put an early call (and) I told him
that very soon the forms are coming, so, whether I am on red, or green or even
black please honour it, otherwise I may lose the nomination”, he added.
“I was about
to go to Kaduna this morning and I told the Chairman (John Odigie-Oyegun) but
he said in that case, you better pick your form and keep a straight face. That
means there is no excuse”.
But the
APC’s national Chairman, Chief Odigie-Oyegun replied Buhari that the N27.5m was
carefully chosen to “separate men from the boys”. He said.
“Let me say
that the N27.5m is to separate the men from the boys. It is quite clear. We
know you. I don’t expect you have N27m under your bed. But I expected that
there are Nigerians who will vouch for you any day and who are ready to stand
for you any day and that is the result that we have obtained today”, he said.
Reacting on
the cost of party nomination forms, Kennet Ukwuoma, a community leader in Lagos
said the cost explains why politicians after winning election, try to offset
the loans they incurred to pick the nomination forms.
Ukwuoma said
such gives room for godfathers in politics. According to him, if should Buhari
wins 2015 election, the tendency is for the Chairman of the bank that gave him
loan of N27.5 million to either be the CBN Governor or his bank becoming the
‘apex bank’ for the country.
He said the
bank and the chairman would dictate the financial and economy of the country.
Ukwuoma claimed that most of the aspirants are racking banks down by their
excessive borrowing to pay for their nomination forms which they are not sure
of repaying bank if they lose. He tasked the parties to lower their prices so
as to avoid godfathers who would be milking some states and candidates after
the election.
Meanwhile APC may have collected N57million
from Atiku Abubakar and Buhari alone, as others are yet to pay.
The party in
a special National Executive Council, NEC, and meeting held at its headquarters
in Abuja, ratified the payments. Some Nigerians have reacted to the fees
describing it as outrageous and fund raising for the party.
Emmanuel
Onwubiko, president of Human Rights Writers Association, HURRIWA, described the
fees as outrageous and targeted against General Mohammadu Buhari.
“The office of president of Nigeria should not
be for the highest bidder. The fee is outrageous and way above what any decent
Nigerian can afford. It will encourage money bags to hijack the party and the
process. There are quite a number of decent Nigerians in APC and this amount of
money will simply scare them away. I suspect that this outrageous amount of
money is targeted against General Buhari, whom Nigerians know may not be able
to afford this kind of money,” he stated.
For
Barrister Abdul Mahmud, president of Public Interest Lawyers League, PILL, said
though it was within the rights of parties to impose fees on aspirants, but
this amount leaves many unanswered questions.
“It is
within the prerogative of parties to impose fees, there is nothing wrong with
that. But there is a wider question. Is the party not indirectly monetizing the
elective offices? Because if somebody pays that kind of money and per chance is
elected, the first thing he does is to recoup that money. It is too expensive
and will not encourage poor Nigerians who have ideas to come forward,” he said.
Also, a
public affairs analyst and president of South East Progressive Assembly, Ebere
Uzoukwa said the fee meant that APC is using it for fund raising.
“If APC can
fix the price for their nomination form for this amount, then it does not take
any soothsayer to tell Nigerians that the party does not have the interest of
Nigerians at heart. The party has an agenda far from what Nigerians desire and
they have proven that they do not have solution to many Nigeria’s problems,” he
said.
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