Lawyer threatens to sue political parties over nomination fees

chika ebuzor

June 17, 2018 1:13 PM

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said that the court has given a judgement banning such payment.

Prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana has threatened to sue parties that sell nomination forms to individuals seeking to hold offices on their platforms.

This is coming on the heels of the guidelines released by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that requires, among other things, that presidential aspirants pay the sum of N12, for nomination and expression of interest forms respectively.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, while speaking with Punch said that the court has given a judgement banning such payment.

He said “The conditions for contesting elections from local government, to the House of Assembly, governorship, House of Representatives, Senate and presidential levels, are all in the constitution.

“There are decisions of the court to the effect that the Independent National Electoral Commission and state electoral commissions cannot collect fees from candidates who are contesting elections.

“So, if I am going to contest election, you can’t ask me to pay N27m as nomination fee because that is unknown to the constitution.

“Therefore, the parties cannot decide their own rules. They cannot impose prohibitive rules that will restrict the participation in the contest of an election to moneybags.

“Of course, we may have to sue the political parties if they continue this illegality. We cannot go on like this.”

Qualified individuals

Falana also stated that political parties should allow individuals who meet the constitutional requirement to run for elective positions.

“Aggrieved party members should be encouraged to challenge the prohibitive nomination fees imposed on aspirants by political parties.

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“I believe any citizen, who meets the requirements outlined in the Constitution, is qualified to contest any election. Political parties cannot add to the constitutional requirements,” he added.

Separate men from the boys

In October 2015, Muhammadu Buhari boughtthe interest and nomination forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for N27 million to enable him contest.

He reportedly said the fees were exorbitant, but he had no choice but to buy the forms.

IN his response, the APC National Chairman, John Oyegun reportedly said that the nomination fees were made high so the men will be separated from the boys.

Also, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar,on October 13, 2018, bought the forms for N27.5 million to enable him contest on the platform of APC.

chika ebuzor