Edo poll: Those who cannot afford the N30m forms are lacking the financial capacity required  – LP

During a press conference in Benin City, Kelly Ogbaloi, the state chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State, announced that their expression of interest and nomination forms are the most affordable among the three major political parties.

Ogbaloi stated that the forms, which cost N30 million, should be within reach for any serious aspirant wishing to run for governor on the LP platform. This announcement comes ahead of the party’s governorship primary election scheduled for February 22, 2024.

It is worth noting that last week, 18 gubernatorial hopefuls on the party’s platform protested against the high cost of the nomination forms, appealing to the national leadership of the party to reduce the fees to a range of N1 million to N5 million.

They argued that the current fees do not align with the party’s principles and public perception. In response, Ogbaloi explained that the cost of elections in Nigeria is generally expensive, as seen in the recent general elections.

Political party funding poses a significant challenge, and one of the primary sources of funding is the sale of forms.

In addition to meeting the qualifications to run for an election, aspiring candidates must also demonstrate their capability and capacity to finance campaigns and fulfill other election requirements.

The process of primaries and the election itself often give rise to various issues, including litigation and logistical concerns.

To address these challenges, political parties charge a reasonable fee to ensure they can fulfill their responsibilities during and after the elections. This fee serves as a measure of a candidate’s capacity to run for the governorship election.

The party has already had two aspirants, one male and one female, purchase the party forms, and they encourage others to do the same.

The party aims to create a level playing field for all aspirants and ensure the emergence of a credible candidate.

They have also reduced the fee for women by 50% to promote their participation in the governorship election.

The party denies allegations of receiving a large sum of money from the state government to feature an inexperienced candidate. The guidelines released by the party’s leadership align with the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.