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By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been berated for charging a cut throat prices for its expression of interest and nomination forms at all levels of elective positions of governance in the 2023 General elections.
The condemnation was made by the Bauchi state chapter of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) saying that the price tags were totally against the democratic aspirations of youths, women and less privileged in the society.
Bauchi state Chairman of the party, Ambassador Khalid Arewa while fielding questions from Journalists on Sunday, noted that APC is not only against democratic norms and values, but equally all out to delegalize the Act, ’Catch Them Young’ which President Muhammadu Buhari himself signed into law.
Khalid Arewa therefore drew the attention of the APC as a party and its leader, President Muhammadu Buhari that the electoral process it is adopting to ensure its perfection in power will create a parallel line between them and the youths, women or generally the electorates who have the voting power to install or mandate any party onto the framework of leadership.
He also observed that the pegging of unreasonable prices of nomination and interest expression forms would demoralize the political morale of aspiring less-privileged, women and the youths, saying that the setting is unbecoming of an APC Government which campaigned to fight against corruption and posed to be redeemer of the down-trodden masses.
It could be recalled that the APC has pegged prices of nomination and interest expression forms at N70m and N30m respectively totaling N100m for presidential aspirants while governorship forms stands at N50m, as well as Senate, Reps and State legislature N20m, N10m and N2m respectively.
Khalid Arewa said that, “In totality, the APC has denied the youths the democratic rights or privileges to partake in partisan politics. So when and where the youth would get mentorship to attain elective position and subsequently be the leaders of tomorrow? He asked.
According to him, “We members of the Zenith Labour Party are ever ready to change that narratives of the APC by way of accepting the influx of its members into the ZLP, especially those aspiring for elective positions come 2023 general elections”.
He assured that, “We would give him/her whichever party ticket he or she so desire, come and embrace our party to enjoy democratic rights and privileges and our forms prices are mere tokens”.
“We expect President Buhari and APC would consider the plight of youths and the less-privileged because some of them are aspiring for elective positions ahead of the general elections, but they lack the wherewithal to even purchase the forms, even the interest expression form into the state house of assembly which the APC pegged at N2 million, let alone those gunning for house of representatives costing N10 million. This is a covert move to prevent the youth from participating in partisan politics”, he stressed.
The ZLP Chairman further said that, “This simply shows that the APC is trying to promote corruption. But, we at ZLP have given our Nomination forms Free for both women, youths and PWD. We are calling the general public especially the popular politicians to join our party for better Nigeria”.
The Bauchi Zenith Labour Party chieftain noted that even the so-called subsidy on youths nomination forms purchase is a mere gimmick to justify the APC exploitative tendencies on handicapped party members and its henchmen and women in all upshots.
Khalid Arewa however, expressed confidence that the ZLP would capture various elective seats across the country should the next general elections be freely and fairly conducted devoid of any rancour or political thuggery.
