Unic Press UK: A case [reference No. FHC/ABJ/CS/951/2018] has been filed at a Federal High Court, Abuja, over the high cost of fees to be paid by aspirants.
The applicant Christmas Akpodiete is praying the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing any primaries conducted prior to the determination of the suit.
“The nomination fees are repugnant to the rules of natural justice, equity and good conscience. It’s an attempt by the Nigerian political oligarchs to make nonsense of the just passed Not-too-Young-to- Run law, and it is a calculated move to deprive the Nigerian people their constitutionally guaranteed right to run for public offices in their own country,” Akpodiete said, the Nigeria Lawyer reported.
Akpodiete added that the exorbitant fee is a breach of human rights in the light of the fact that the monthly minimum wage in Nigeria is ₦18,000 [or £38.9].
The All Progressive Congress (APC) is the party with the most costly fees for the purchase of a nomination form and an expression of interest form. Below is a breakdown of the fees, which applies to the aspirants under the APC platform.
Presidential aspirant (₦45 million)
- Expression of Interest form (₦5 million)
- Nomination form (₦40 million)
Governorship (₦22.5 million)
- Expression of Interest form (₦2.5 million)
- Nomination form (₦20 million)Senatorial aspirant
Senate (₦7 million)
- Expression of Interest form (₦1 million)
- Nomination form (₦6 million)
House of Representative (₦3.85 million)
- Expression of Interest form (₦0.350 million)
- Nomination form (₦3.5 million)
House of Assembly (₦0.850 million)
- Expression of Interest form (₦0.1 million)
- Nomination form (₦0.750 million)
Nigeria’s 2019 General Elections will hold on Saturday, the 16 February 2019, at 08:00 hrs (GMT+1).
