APC, PDP generate N219m from Edo gov forms

The two major political parties – the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party – have generated at least N219m from the sale of Edo State governorship forms ahead of the September general elections, The PUNCH has learnt.

While the APC generated N135m, the PDP made N84m from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms.

The APC sold its Expression of Interest forms for N2.5m while the nomination form was sold for N20m.

Women and disabled persons were, however, given the option of paying half the price.

Six men bought the forms and they include, Governor Godwin Obaseki, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Dr. Pius Odubu, Chris Ogiemwonyi, Osaro Obazee and Matthew Iduoriyekemwen.

Three of them including Obaseki, Ogiemwonyi and Iduoriyekenwen were disqualified.

The remaining two later stepped down for Ize-Iyamu who eventually won the primary.

The PDP on its part sold its expression of interest forms for N1m while the nomination form was sold for N20m.

Women were given the privilege of picking up the forms for free.

The PDP sold forms to four aspirants. They are Gideon Ikhine, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon and Governor Obaseki who recently defected to the party.

The high cost of forms by political parties has become a controversial topic in recent years with activists insisting that it promotes inequality.

The President, Maj.Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), while contesting for his first term in office in 2014, claimed to have obtained a bank loan in order to purchase the APC presidential forms which cost N27.5m. Ahead of the 2019 election, the price of the forms had risen to N45m.

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), had in 2018 declared as illegal the sale of forms by political parties.

Falana had said, “It is illegal and prohibitive to collect nomination forms. When you do that, you are excluding people from participating in the democratic process.

“In 2003, INEC attempted to collect money for nomination forms. Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi led us to court and the court held that it was illegal and unconstitutional to collect nomination forms.

“What is embarrassing for some of us is that President Muhammadu Buhari complained that he was asked to pay N27m in 2015 for his own nomination form and had to take a loan to raise the money.

“Now that Buhari is the President of Nigeria and leader of the ruling party (APC), what has happened?”