African Action Congress(AAC) Anambra State chapter, has condemned the N5 million chairmanship administrative fee, announced by Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), ahead of local government election in the state.
Deputy National Chairperson (Southeast) of the party, Chioma Ifemeludike, who said this at a news conference, described the fee as “extortion’’ and the election a “billionaire’s club.”
She demanded reversal of the predatory levies, insisting that nomination fees must be minimal to ensure inclusion of all social classes.
She called on the civil society, labour unions and youths of the state to join the party in resisting the attempt to sell local governments to the elite.
She said: “We can’t continue to fold our arms and allow things deteriorate before our eyes. Whose interests are we protecting, the government or the people? Are we serving our interest or that of the people at the grassroots?
The local government is the closest to the masses. But as we speak, the council has been hijacked by the state government. This is further compounded by the exorbitant levies for the forms, as nobody living in the rural areas can afford that kind of money.
Meanwhile, this money, which is going directly into the government coffers, is not refundable. So whether you win or lose, it’s not their concern. This same scenario played out during last governorship election. But how long do we allow this to continue?
“Nobody bothers to ask where those who can afford the money are getting it from. What’s their interests? This is completely against what AAC represents. Why must there be levy in the first place? If at all there should be levy, it shouldn’t be above N50,000.
“Government should encourage young people to be part of the governance of their localities, to assist in salvaging the situation. Whoever invests this kind of money to vie for local government election will definitely recoup it if he wins.
“For an individual without character to be a leader jeopardises the very lives of the people he’s leading. Unfortunately, nobody thinks in that direction.
It’s high time we began to consider character and people with the heart to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
“Poverty in the rural communities is so real that you can touch it. Poverty is being weaponized, as politicians ride on the backs of the people to achieve their selfish interests.
But we as a party who are the voice of the masses won’t keep quiet, even when every other party, including IPAC, decides to be silent.
“It will be written in history that we did our part. Let the IPAC hear this, let the governor hear this, that I, Chioma Ifemeludike, say this is unacceptable. And if they go ahead to do it, posterity will judge them.”
State Publicity Secretary of the party, Anyanwu Chinedu, itemized reasons for the fee rejection to include legalized extortion, recipe for corruption, death of meritocracy, among others.
Demanding N5 million from chairmanship candidates and N1 million from councillorship candidates is a blatant attempt to shut out the youth, the working class and the common man from the political space.
“When a candidate is forced to pay millions just to get on the ballot, their first priority upon entering office will be to ‘recover’ their investment from the public treasury.
‘’ANSIEC is effectively seeding corruption before the first vote is even cast. It must stop acting as a firewall for the ruling party and start creating a level playing field for all political parties.
Capacity, integrity and a track record of service should be the criteria for leadership—not the size of one’s bank account. This levy ensures only the corrupt elite and their godfathers can participate,” he added.
The Nation
