The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken some flak over its recent announcement of the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms for the Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections at the cost of N22.5 million.

The ruling party had, on Tuesday, through its National Secretary, Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), John Akpanudodehe, disclosed that while the nomination form would sell for N20 million, the expression of interest form would cost N2.5 million.

Akpanudodehe said the announcement followed the party’s approval of timetable and schedule of activities for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.

He, however, added that female and physically challenged aspirants would pay 50 per cent of the approved fees, just as he added that the party’s approved election timetable and schedule of activities for the election in the two states was in accordance with the provisions of the amended Electoral Act 2010 and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

Reacting, a public affairs analyst, Dr. Jide Johnson, wondered why a political party would announce such a huge amount of money for nomination and expression of interest forms.

Why describing the ruling party’s decision as the “monetisation of the democratic space”, Johnson, who is the Director, Special Programmes, at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, in Lagos, explained that such decision would discourage individuals who can’t afford such amount.

According to him, “If a political party is pegging its nomination form at that amount, it is clear that they intend to deprive some people from participating in the process.

“Obviously, it’s not everyone who intends to be the next governor of either of the two states that can afford such amount.

“Why should the national leadership of a political party be selling nomination forms in the first place?

“For me, it is against the principle of federalism. It is purely monetisation of the democratic space; cash and cash democracy.”

On his part, the national president of the socio-cultural group based in the United States of America, Egbe Omo Yoruba, Dr. Durojaye Akindutire, slammed political parties in Nigeria for always making sales of nomination forms a big deal.

Akindutire said: “What is it about nomination and expression of interest forms that they should cost almost N23 million?

“I don’t know what political parties have become in Nigeria, a business venture?

“How many of the aspirants will be able to afford such an outrageous amount of money”

“The truth of the matter is that, at the end of the day, the desperate ones among the aspirants will go to the extent of getting loans to acquire the forms.

“The party will use this to rake in money and, in the end, they already know who they want to use.

“In Ekiti, the incumbent will do everything to install a successor, while in Osun, the incumbent will do everything to get a second term; so, who are they deceiving?

“We can’t get anywhere if we continue to run our democracy in this manner. Sale of these forms shouldn’t be about making money.”

(Sunday Independent)

•National Secretary, Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), of APC, John Akpanudodehe

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