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By Chukwudi Nweje
National Consultative Front (NCFront), yesterday, said the exorbitant fees the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) placed on their expression of interest and nomination forms expose the premium both parties place on money over the values, character, and competence of aspirants seeking political offices.
“The imposition of N40 million and N100 million on presidential aspirants by PDP and APC respectively speaks eloquently to the prevailing retrogressive politics, which the Nigerian ruling class seeks to perpetuate through the monetisation of political mandate. It is therefore not strange to us that the ruling class within the APC and the PDP places more premium on money rather than the values, character, and competence of aspirants seeking political offices. The irrationality of this unhelpful imposition of prohibitive fees on aspirants should however be seen in the light of the worsening official corruption at all levels of governance”, it said.
A statement signed by Dr Tanko Yunusa, the group’s Head Public Affairs Bureau, further said that the APC and the PDP, have by their action have restricted the political space to the exclusive control of moneybags and highest bidders.
He further said, “NCFront strongly condemns the discriminatory and corruptive fees imposed by the two dominant political parties on individuals aspiring to political offices on their platforms. NCFront considers a situation, where the ruling class within the APC and PDP are united in the self-serving race to tighten the political space against the genuine aspirations of patriotic Nigerians, who are eager to invest in governance with robust participation at all levels of governance as rather unfortunate and oppressive.”
He added that while political parties reserve the right to set rules governing their internal affairs, such rules should not be seen to restrict the political space.
“While NCFront concedes it is within the powers of political parties to regulate its affairs, including setting rules for members engaging in the electoral process, it however amounts to a mockery of democracy to enforce regulations that place the political space under the exclusive control of moneybags and highest bidders, especially incumbent political office holders who will be left with no option than to engage in mandate buying to perpetuate themselves in the corridors of power.”
Tanko said Nigeria cannot survive the booby trap of political monetisation being set by the APC and the PDP, and called on Nigerians to rise against the impending consequences of the prohibitive nomination and expression of interest fees.
“It should be evident enough to Nigerians that the ramified implication would be too dire for the polity by the time the electioneering process of the 2023 general elections fully unfolds. It is obvious Nigeria cannot survive the booby trap of political monetisation that is currently being exhibited by the crop of self serving politicians ruling the country. Therefore, it is imperative for Nigerians home and abroad to urgently join forces with the NCFront to offer the citizens a formidable platform through which the shenanigans of the two main political parties could be neutralised and defeated by the Nigerian people at the next elections
“NCFront, therefore, calls on Nigerians to openly demonstrate outrage and opposition to the mindless open handed corruption of the political process by the APC and PDP. It is important that such a demonstration of criminal opulence by the political class within the APC and PDP should not be allowed to stand in the face of prevailing security and economic challenges in the country.
“Nigerians must demonstrate a determination to take back the country and restore sanity in the electoral process by massively rejecting the APC and the PDP at the polls in 2023 to save the People’s national patrimony from being further plundered once again. To this end, NCFront calls on Nigerians; particularly, the electorate to team up with the emergent People’s alternative mega party platform currently evolving into a robust 3rd Force with the ultimate aim of wrestling power from the APC and the PDP” NCFront said.
