All is not well in the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, over the huge amount the party has levied its gubernatorial aspirants for the 2015 general elections.
Reliable information available to Nigerian Pilot indicates that the party’s leadership has directed each governorship aspirant to pay a whopping sum of $3million (about N500million) and another sum of N250million before such aspirant could be cleared to contest the party’s primary election scheduled for next month.
This amount does not include cost of purchase of governorship form of N12 million, Expression of Interest form of N2 million and nomination form at N10 million by each of the aspirants.
For the state Houses of Assembly, the Expression of Interest form is N200, 000 while the nomination form is N1million. The Expression of Interest form for the House of Representatives is N500, 000 while the nomination form is N2 million. Expression of Interest form for the Senate is N500, 000, while the nomination form is N3 million. The party has no slot for the presidential ticket.
An official of the party and member of its National Executive Committee, NEC, who was contacted last night on the development, confirmed the new levy to Nigerian Pilot. The official, who sought anonymity, explained that the money would not go into the party’s account.
According to him, APGA imposed the levies on each gubernatorial aspirant to test the financial capacity of those aspiring to run under the party, stressing that “every aspirant contesting under the party must have enough money to fund his campaign.”
He said: “During election, including the last general elections, the party made it clear that all aspirants will have enough money to take care of their campaign expenses. It has been made known to aspirants that they are expected to have enough funds, not only to buy their forms, but also to fund their campaigns.
“For instance, you cannot compare an aspirant who has N5 million with the one that has N5 billion. The money is for you to fund your campaign and not to pay it to any party official or bank account. After paying for the stipulated fee for the nomination and declaration of interest form, the party does not ask the aspirant for any other fee, but it must make sure he or she has enough money. In this case, the person should have at least from N500 million and above to run his or her campaign.”
But Nigerian Pilot learnt that while N250million is paid directly into the party’s account by each governorship aspirant, $3million is personally collected by a prominent national officer of the party.
It was further gathered that one of the new entrants into the race in a South-East state, last week, made a deposit of $2million of the $3million to a top party leader.
By its guideline for 2015 elections, governorship screening took place at the National Secretariat of the party from November 20 to 21 while appeals arising from it took place on November 22 at same venue.
The additional levy on governorship aspirants is already causing disaffection among them. Two of the aspirants last night expressed dismay over the new development, wondering if the party wanted them to steal to raise such staggering amount. One of them exclaimed when asked his reaction on phone: “My brother, where on earth does APGA leaders expect me to raise such amount from? Should I steal or do money ritual? Even the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC, the two largest parties have not given their aspirants such an uphill task.”
Political observers said the levy could affect the chances of the party in 2015 elections as well as worsen the crisis already rocking the party at national and state chapters.
APGA has been hit by a wave of defections which started from Anambra State where the former state governor, Peter Obi and some members of the National Assembly decamped to other political parties. Similar defections have been witnessed in Imo, Abia, Enugu and other states.
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