Nigeria’s ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) on Tuesday fixed the the cost of the expression of interest and nomination forms for presidential aspirants at N100 million.
Some of the presidential aspirants of the party who will have to cough out N100 million to buy the nomination forms include Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State.
In the same vein, APC fixed the price of its forms for governorship aspirants cost N50 million; Senate, N20 million; House of Representatives, N10 million and State Houses of Assembly, N2 million.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party disclosed on Wednesday that it has approved Schedule of Activities and Timetable for the 2023 general election.
According to the body, commencement of sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms from Saturday, April 23 to May 6, 2022 for the 2023 general election.
This was part of the decision reached by the party at the opening of its 11th APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Transcop Hilton, Abuja attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the leadership of the National Assembly, governors elected on the platform of the party and members of Abdullahi Adamu led NWC.
But the party approved a 50% reduction in nomination fees for youths less than 40 years for various elective positions.
Speaking at the opening of the NEC, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of APC cautioned members against divisive tendencies, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Adamu reminded the party’s stakeholders of the experience of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014 and how it lost the presidential election in 2015 due to disunity.
Adamu said that the APC must be guided against complacency by remaining united if it must continue in its winning ways.
He also cautioned the party’s past governors against undermining serving governors in their states, saying that they remained the party’s leaders in their respective states.
“The APC Constitution states that serving governors are the state leaders, therefore the past governors must act like states men and provide guidance,” Adamu said.
He said that the party constitution only recognised serving governors as their states leaders, adding that there was no need for competition and rivalry between past and serving governors.
He said that the ego causing disunity between past and serving governors and other leaders of the party in some of state could pull the party down if not properly handled.
This, he said, could affect the party’s electoral victory in the 2023 general elections.
Adamu said going forward the party’s slogan would be APC first.
He, however, added that the National Working Committee (NEC) was open to suggestions on how to move the party forward, saying that it doesn’t have monopoly of knowledge.
APC governors were lead to the meeting by the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC NEC is the second highest decision making organ of the party.(NAN)
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