The Labour Party (LP) has said the N30 million it charged for both the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for the Edo State governorship election is the lowest in the country among the three major parties.
The party, therefore said, any person who cannot afford the fees should not be thinking of contesting in the governorship election.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, who said this on Wednesday in Abuja, also said the guideline for the primaries released recently as approved by its national leadership, is in line with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act and especially the party’s constitution.
“Comparatively, the fee charged by the LP is still the lowest among the three major political parties in the contest. Therefore, any person who cannot afford that fee does not have the capacity to run for the governorship election,” he said.
He noted that political party funding is a major challenge and it must also be noted that the sale of forms is a major source through which a political party is funded.
“A lot of issues that may arise as a result of primaries and election itself which has to do with litigation arising from primaries and election itself as well as other logistics issues makes it imperative for the parties to charge that much so that the party can adequately discharge its responsibilities to the party, to the aspirants and to the candidate.
“There is also the cost of conducting the various congresses leading to the emergence of the candidate through the congresses in wards to local governments culminating into the party primaries,” Ifoh also said.
He added that the guideline released by the party has no doubt widened the scope of participation within the party members, as all of them, from the ward level, will have one role or the other to play in the emergence of the party’s candidate.
“It is consequent upon these, that all members of the party from the ward will be nominating two delegates each who will converge in their various local governments to nominate five delegates each that will participate in the primary election scheduled to be held on February 22, 2024, that will produce a candidate for the party,” he said.