APC slams N100m fee on presidential aspirants, guber nominees to pay N50m

…NWC takes over NEC’s disciplinary, other powers for 90 days

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has said presidential and gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of the party will obtain an expression of interest and nomination forms at a nonrefundable fee of N100 million and N50 million respectively.

Briefing journàlists yesterday at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja after the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party attended by Presisdent Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Barr. Felix Morka, who disclosed the fees, also revealed that NEC resolved that aspirants for the Senate and House of Representatives seats should obtain an expression of interest and nomination forms at a nonrefundable fee of N20 million and N10 million respectively, just as aspirants for State House of Assemblies will obtain the forms at N2 million.

Speaking further, he said at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the APC leaders and stakeholders resolved that powers of the APC NEC, including disciplinary measures and appeal, as stipulated in Article 13.3 of the APC Constitution, should be transferred to the National Working Committee (NWC) for a period of ninety days, commencing from yesterday.

The powers of APC NEC as enumerated in Article 13.3 of the party’s Constitution includes fixing of the party’s schedule ahead of the 2023 general election, including disciplinary measures.

In addition, the party has rolled out schedule of activities for the 2023 presidential, gubernatorial, National Assembly and State Assembly elections, even as it approved that sale of forms for various offices will commence on Saturday, 23rd of April and end on May 6th.

Also, the NEC sanctioned the conduct of party’s primaries on May 30th and 31st, while resolving that female aspirants and persons with disabilities will obtain the nomination forms free of charge, though they will pay for expression of interest forms.

The NEC also resolved that youths, including persons between 25 years and 40 years, will have fifty percent discount for the nomination fee, though the aspirants will pay for the expression of interest forms.

According to him, “Now, the last item which is the schedule of fees payable for these offices. The first is the House of Assembly. The expression of interest form has been set for N500,000, while the nomination form has been set for one million, five hundred thousand naira only. That brings it to a total of N2million for the state House of Assembly.

“The House of Representatives has a fee prescribed of N1million for the expression of interest form N9million for the nomination form, bringing it for the House of Representatives to a total of N10million.

“For the Senate, we have the expression of interests from set at N3million naira, while the nomination form has been set at N17million, bringing it to a total of 20million for the Senate.

“For governorship, we have the expression of interest form set at N10 million naira, with the nomination from is set at N40million naira, bringing it to a total of N50million naira for the governorship and our presidential form has been set for expression of interest of N30million naira and the nomination form set at N70million, bringing it to a total of N100million.

“Now, please note and this is very important that female aspirants and persons with disability are to purchase our expression of interest forms for all the positions that they may be interested in, while the nomination forms will be free without any costs to them.