The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, on Thursday in Abuja, faulted the N100 million nomination forms by the All Progressives Congress for aspirants contesting the 2023 presidential election, saying any person who spends that money should be investigated for fraud.
Ayu, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Communication and Strategy, Simon Imobo-Tswam, titled ‘Overpriced APC nomination forms: Dr Iyorchia Ayu’s reaction’, said the APC has disenfranchised thousands of her youths, and dashed the hopes of millions of Nigerian youths who applauded the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), when he signed the Not Too Young To Run Bill into law in 2018.
He said, “The APC has disenfranchised thousands of her youths, and dashed the hopes of millions of Nigerian youths who applauded President Buhari when he signed the Not Too Young To Run Bill into law in 2018.
“In fact, all those buying the N100m and N50m nomination forms should be investigated for fraud.”
Ayu recalled that Buhari, in 2014, told Nigerians that he had to borrow N27m to buy his nomination form but has now sanctioned the sale of the same forms at N100m.
He added, “But in 2014, the PDP was in power and the economy was still booming. The APC presidency has now run the economy aground, making Nigeria the ‘Poverty Capital of the World.’
“How then can impoverished APC aspirants buy nominations at such prohibitively high costs? And yet, only recently he preached ‘Equal Opportunity’ to them.
“By this latest action, the APC has disenfranchised thousands of her youths, and dashed the hopes of millions of Nigerian youths who applauded President Buhari when he signed the Not Too Young To Run Bill into law in 2018. It is most insensitive, and mind-boggling.
“In fact, all those buying the N100m and N50m nomination forms should be investigated for fraud.”