By Ben Ogbemudia, David Lawani, Cross Udo, and Oludamisi Ojo
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have raked in over N21bn from the sale of presidential and other nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of their primaries.

National Organising Secretary of APC, Sulaiman Arugungu, had on Thursday disclosed that 241 aspirants picked senatorial forms at N20m each, amounting to N4.82bn; and 821 aspirants picked the House of Representatives forms at N10m, amounting to N8.21bn.

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For the state houses of assembly, 1,505 aspirants picked the forms at N2m each, grossing N3.01bn; 48 aspirants picked the governorship form at N50m per head, which amounted to N2.4bn, while 22 aspirants obtained the presidential form at N100m each, yielding N2.2bn, thus bringing the total amount from forms alone to N20.64bn.

A similar scenario, but on a lesser scale, replicates in the opposition PDP where, ahead of the presidential primary, the party has generated N646m from 17 aspirants.

Expectedly, reactions have trailed the ruling party’s humongous amount as many argue that President Muhammadu Buhari rode to power on the promise to fight corruption and other vices.

It is amid this squalor and unfathomable urge for a corrupt act, that some have accused the ruling party of looking the other way as aspirants who aspire to succeed the president pay hefty sums to the party’s national purse.

So far, the list of those who pay the huge amount for forms includes by Dr Chukwumeka Nwajiuba, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, Mrs Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Dr Chris Ngige, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.

Others include Senator Godswill Akpabio, Jack Rich, Godwin Emefiele, Rotimi Amaechi, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Ex-House of Reps speaker, Oladimeji Bankole, Ahmad Rufai, Sani Bakura, Ekiti governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Senator Ken Nnamani, Dr Nicolas Felix, among others yet to pick the forms.

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The aspirants in the PDP who have picked forms include former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; former president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim.

Others were Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel; former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; a United States-based medical practitioner, Nwachukwu Anakwenze, and media mogul, Dele Momodu.

Also eyeing the ticket are a former banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; a pharmacist, Sam Ohuabunwa, former Speaker of Abia House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe, Charles Ugwu, Chikwendu Kalu as well as the only female aspirant in the race, Oliver Tareila Diana.

Based on party policy, the only female aspirant only paid for the expression of interest form at N6m.

The race is now set for the party’s primaries slated for May 28-29.

All the aspirants who paid N40m for the expression of interest and nomination forms of the party are males, except one, who paid just N6m, in a move designed by the party leadership to encourage the participation of women.

*Kwankwaso, Anglican cleric mock ruling party

A former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, added drama to the issue when he mocked the APC for fixing its expression of interest form and nomination form for presidential primaries at N100m.
Kwankwaso, who is the National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), urged Nigerians to identify with his party and pick forms to contest for its primaries, saying that the forms had been made cheap for the interested members to afford.

This is as the party, at the weekend, held its first National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists at the NEC, the former Kano governor assured supporters of the NNPP that the party would achieve great fortunes in next year’s general elections.

He said unlike the APC, which pegged its presidential form at N100m, the NNPP has made its forms very cheap and affordable.

Kwankwaso said, “Let me remind Nigerians that our forms are on sale for state houses of assembly positions and other positions here in the national secretariat for those who want to contest elections.

“I want to encourage everybody to be like all of us here; to be people with the foresight of men and women in this country. This party is for all nationalists who believe in this country.

An Anglican cleric, Isaac Awowole, has condemned in strong terms, the high cost of nomination forms for All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirants and other categories.

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He said most technocrats and others with good intentions to govern have been deprived of the opportunity because of the outrageous nomination fees for various positions ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Awowole, who is the Vicar-in-Charge of Emmanuel Anglican Church, Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State described God as the ultimate giver and taker of positions, hence he said Nigerians must acknowledge Him in whatever positions they are seeking for.

In a Sunday homily, the cleric also condemned the inordinate ambitions and do-or-die syndrome in getting to positions of authority, without reference to God.

He noted, with displeasure, that one year to the end of this Buhari administration, governance has been abandoned totally for politicking, despite many challenges still begging for answers like insecurity, ASSU strike, corruption, poor road network, hike in aviation and motor fuel and others, which needed urgent attention by those in corridors of power.

Awowole appealed to God-fearing Christians to come out and join politics and demonstrate righteousness in whatever they do for others to emulate.