Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has set to hold its presidential primary election between Monday, May 30, and Wednesday, June 1.
They reached these resolutions at the party’s National Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The party also ratified its Timetable for its primary elections. The process starts with a notice of elections to state chapters and will begin on April 22. Purchase of nomination and expression of interest forms will be next, followed by primaries and appeals.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, spoke to journalists after the meeting and said the party had set the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for Presidential candidates at 100 million naira.
We set the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for governors at 50 million naira. For Senators, the forms cost 20 million naira, House of Representatives forms cost 10 million naira, while the state House of Assembly forms is set at 2 million naira.
Mr Morka said they gave concessions and discounts to women, people living with disability and youths on the cost of forms.
“Female aspirants and persons with disability to purchase our expression of interest forms for all the positions they may be interested in, while the nomination forms will be free with no cost to them.
“Let me say again, especially of interest, funds will be paid for based on the schedule announced for our female aspirants, or persons living with disability will be paid for according to the fees announced for each of the positions.
“But the nomination forms, which obviously from what I’ve said cost more, will be delivered to them for free at no cost to them.
“Now, our youth also got some special consideration out of this meeting. And we consider our youth persons between the ages of 25 to 40. To purchase the expression of interest forms but with a discount of 50 per cent.
“On the nomination forms now, as usual, all the payments are to be made to banks designated by the party and published in a very short while from now,” Morka said.
At the meeting, the NEC, which is the second-highest decision-making body of the APC, passed its powers to the National Working Committee, NWC, for the next 90 days.
According to the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the Devolution of power to the NWC aligns with the APC Constitution.
The Chairman of the forum of governors in the All Progressives Congress, APC and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, said the party Timetable “seems to suggest that it is indirect primaries.”
Nigeria’s Senate President Ahmed Lawan appealed to the party to prioritise performing lawmakers for a second term. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, also echoed the Senate President on the same matter.
At the NEC meeting, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, some APC Governors, key leaders of the National Assembly caucus, and APC state chairmen, among others, were present.
The APC NEC meeting is the first NEC meeting the party has held since it elected its new National Executive at its Convention held in March this year.
E/Suzan O.
