In Ebonyi State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to have abandoned its longstanding claim of being a progressive party. Recent events have again revealed the falsehood of that claim, leaving many to question whether the party’s so-called progressive ideals were ever genuine or merely a superficial slogan.
How else can one explain the APC’s decision in Ebonyi to set the nomination and expression of interest fees for the local government elections at an astonishing N30 million? Aspirants seeking to contest the chairmanship position in the August 2026 council elections are asked to pay N25 million as a nomination fee, and an additional N5 million for the expression of interest form.
If anything, this sum makes the dream of aspiring to the office of chairmanship on the APC platform unrealistic for the average APC member in the state.
Why it matters
There is a temptation to say that aspirants can join other political parties since the APC is charging exorbitant fees. That is clearly the only viable option, but given the nature of local government elections, it will be an exercise in futility, as the ruling party always wins all offices in elections conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission.
According to the state APC chairman, Stanley Okoro, the party has decided to adopt a delegate system for the chairmanship primaries, while the councillorship primaries will be conducted under Option A4. He explained that this arrangement aims to ensure fairness and credibility in the selection process.
Interestingly, Okoro justified the party’s strategy by stating that it aims to encourage aspirants to align with both the party’s interests and the electorate’s preferences. He emphasised that the APC is committed to choosing popular and widely acceptable candidates who can win elections.
“The party must be represented by a popular candidate. We cannot field an unpopular candidate. The candidate must be someone from the people,” Okoro said after meeting with party stakeholders to discuss preparations for the council poll.
Nevertheless, it is hard to reconcile this remarkable mixture of noble ideals and harsh realities on the ground. There is no denying that a N30 million fee is excessive by any reasonable standard. When such an amount is charged by a party claiming to be progressive in a state where over 60 per cent of the population lives in multidimensional poverty, the decision becomes not only questionable but also very concerning.
Taking from the poor
Statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics show that Ebonyi is among the poorest states in Nigeria, with about 78 per cent of its citizens considered multidimensionally poor. This stark reality prompts questions about whether the APC is sensitive to the socio-economic conditions of the people it seeks to govern.
In arriving at this outlandish decision, did the party leadership consider that Ebonyi is mainly an agrarian state, where over 40 per cent of the population are farmers and small-scale traders struggling daily to survive? Given this context, how many people can realistically afford N30 million just to obtain a nomination form? Is this exorbitant fee not clearly misplaced and out of touch with the current situation and popular sentiment in the state? Or was it deliberately set to exclude many popular, capable, and willing individuals who lack access to such substantial sums of money?
It is therefore alarming that Ebonyi APC considers it acceptable to charge N30 million for a chairmanship nomination form. This act establishes a dangerous precedent and indicates that public offices are commodities to be sold to the highest bidder.
Shutting many out
There is a growing perception that the party already has preferred candidates in mind, often children, relatives, or loyal servants of powerful and privileged figures who can afford to pay a large sum for the purchase of forms.
APC must be clearly informed that by imposing this excessive fee for nomination and expression of interest, it is not only excluding many but also deliberately reinforcing a cycle of dominance, control, and exclusion rather than fostering genuine competition and serving the public interest.
In addition to the already exorbitant cost of nomination forms, aspirants also face other unavoidable expenses, such as campaign logistics, mobilisation, and rallies. All these factors combine to make contesting elections in Nigeria excessively costly.
One is therefore compelled to ask: is the Ebonyi APC imposing these exorbitant fees out of desperation to raise revenue? Should the desire to boost party finances take precedence over the broader democratic goal of inclusive participation? What long-term effects will these high costs have on election expenses and the quality of leadership that ultimately emerges?
More importantly, what does this clearly prohibitive cost of nomination forms suggest for democracy, accountability, and good governance, especially at the grassroots, where leadership directly affects people’s daily lives?
By making nomination forms excessively expensive, the APC is intentionally restricting democratic participation. It is a fact that the overwhelming influence of money in Nigerian politics has transformed electoral involvement into a herculean task, deterring many credible individuals. In numerous cases, this situation enables wealthy individuals to bankroll and install their preferred candidates as political pawns.
Nigeria cannot sustain a system where leadership at all levels, especially at the local government level, which is closest to the people, is based on wealth rather than competence, character, and dedication to public service.
Regrettably, the high costs of contesting elections foster an environment where individuals of questionable character with deep pockets can rise to power, often to the detriment of the people they are meant to serve.
Charging exorbitant fees for nomination forms will restrict participation, reduce the pool of credible candidates, and further weaken local governance. Such measures undermine one of democracy’s core principles: the right of all citizens to aspire to any office of their choice.
…And The Chagoury Honour
The Nigerian President wields what many see as enormous powers. Indeed, there is a widely held belief that the powers granted to the office by the Constitution were deliberately crafted by its framers to make the President exceptionally powerful and influential.
These powers are explicitly described in Chapter 1, Section 5 of the Constitution, along with other provisions. The President is authorised to implement and enforce laws, oversee government affairs, and lead the nation’s armed forces, all within the limits set by laws passed by the National Assembly.
Beyond these broad responsibilities, the Constitution also grants the President specific discretionary powers. For example, Section 175 confers on him the prerogative of mercy, enabling the President to grant pardons, commute sentences, or reduce punishments for convicted persons. Similarly, Section 305 empowers the President to declare a state of emergency when circumstances demand.
In exercising the powers conferred upon him by the Constitution, the President is expected to be guided by the belief that his decisions are made in good faith, based on what he considers to be in the nation’s best interest.
More often than not, such decisions attract public scrutiny and criticism. One such decision that has generated debate in recent times is President Bola Tinubu’s conferment of the second-highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), on Gilbert Chagoury.
Recently, President Tinubu, exercising the authority granted to him by the National Honours Act, awarded the GCON honour to Chagoury, a long-standing associate and friend. This action has inevitably provoked reactions, with many Nigerians questioning whether personal friendship, rather than outstanding service to the nation, influenced the decision.
The President justified the honour by stating that it was awarded in recognition of Chagoury’s outstanding virtues and his services to Nigeria. And we ask: what contributions has Gilbert Chagoury made to Nigeria that qualify him for one of the country’s highest national honours?
Kaduna Abduction
The abduction of over one hundred persons at the Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna State is disheartening. But what is more frightening is the Nigerian Police’s actions. They denied it, but later admitted the sad incident occurred. The Police’s claim that they denied it to prevent unnecessary panic was a farce. The Police like deceiving Nigerians, and that has to stop!
