‘Inclusive democracy must involve the poor’ — AAC declares nomination forms free

The national working committee (NWC) of the African Action Congress (AAC) says its expression of interest and nomination forms for all elective positions are free.

In a statement issued on Thursday by Femi Adeyeye, AAC spokesperson, the party said the decision was taken after a meeting of its NWC on April 24.

According to Adeyeye, the decision of the party to declare its nomination forms free is part of efforts to ensure that all Nigerians, irrespective of financial status, can seek elective positions on the AAC platform.

“The African Action Congress seizes this medium to announce to members of the party and the general public its resolution reached at its meeting of April 24, 2022, one of which is to declare free for all positions, the expression of interest and nomination forms,” the statement reads.

“With a maddening inflation rate of 18 percent, unemployment at 33.3 percent, youth unemployment at 53.4 percent, underemployment at 51 percent, Dollar to Naira exchange rate at 599 Naira to 1 Dollar, hike in electricity and other tariffs, workers’ minimum wage of N30,000 which in reality is barely paid, it is near impossible to find brilliant, financially upright and competent change-seeking Nigerians who would pay exorbitant and illegal fees such as the APC’s and PDP’s, just so as to contest in an election.

“As the (Muhammadu) Buhari regime has priced education, quality healthcare and other social services from the reach of the poor, it is clearer now more than ever, that it has priced participatory democracy so far from the reach of genuine change-seeking but poor people.

“The downward review from the AAC NWC, to the point of declaring free for all positions, came after a clinical assessment of the economic woes caused by the unfortunate Buhari regime.

“We understand that for inclusive democracy to be kept alive in our society, even the poorest among us must not be disenfranchised through the backdoor- the money politics the evil twin, APC and PDP are known for.”

Recently, the cost of expression of interest and nomination forms of the two major political parties in the country — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) —has elicited varied reactions.

In the APC, the presidential form is pegged as N100 million, governorship candidates will pay N50 million; state house of assembly candidates will pay N2 million while the house of representatives and the senate is N10 million and N20 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, in the PDP, the forms for presidential candidates is N40 million, governorship is N21 million, state house of assembly pegged at N600,000 while the house of representatives is N2.5 million and the senate is N3.5 million.