SAN FRANCISCO, September 06, (THEWILL) – An All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential aspirant, Christmas Akpodiete, has dragged the ruling APC, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and order registered political parties before the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja over the high cost of nomination fees charged by the political parties.
The presidential aspirant, in his case marked with Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/951/2018, is asking the court to restrain the APC and the PDP from going ahead with the scheduled primaries and if they do, he’s asking the court to declare such primaries null and void.
Akpodiete is also asking the court to restrain INEC from recognising such primaries, pending the determination of the substantial suit insisting that the nomination fees charged by the political parties were not only ridiculous and unaffordable, but also unconstitutional.
Akpodiete is also praying the court that if the nomination fees are beyond that amount, the ordinary Nigerian worker who earns N18, 000 monthly would be deprived the capacity to achieve their constitutionally guaranteed right, which includes the right to run for public office.
“The nomination fees are repugnant to the rules of natural justice, equity and good conscience,” he stated.
“It’s an attempt by the Nigerian political oligarchs to make nonsense of the just passed Not-too-Young-to- Run law, and it is a calculated move to deprive the Nigerian people their constitutionally guaranteed right to run for public offices in their own country.
THEWILL recalls that Akpodiete had earlier written to the APC Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, appealing to the party to jettison the nomination fees or keep them within the minimum wage but his complaint was not addressed; hence the action.
