Ahead of the February 3 National and State Houses of Assembly by-elections, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have announced the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms.
APC’s sale of the forms will begin today to enable the party’s aspirants buy the ticket to fill vacant legislative seats.
The ruling party has also fixed January 6 for its primary elections, while PDP’s will hold on January 8.
APC National Organising Secretary Sulaiman Argungu, who announced this in a timetable and schedule of activities notice for the bye-elections in Abuja, said the sale of the forms will end on Tuesday, January 2.
According to the notice, senatorial aspirants are to pay N17 million and N3 million for nominations and expression of interest forms.
Each of the House of Representatives aspirants is to pay N1 million for the expression of interest form and N9 million for nomination form, while a State House of Assembly aspirant will pay N500,000 for the expression of interest and N1.5 million for nomination form.
In line with the party’s policy, female aspirants and People With Disabilities (PWDs) are required to pay for the expression of interest form for any election as their nomination form is free.
Youths between the ages of 25 and 40 are to purchase the expression of interest and get the nomination forms at a 50 per cent discount for any position.
Delegates who are to elect the candidates in the primary elections are required to pay N5,000 for the form.
The notice also directed that members who will elect candidates should be financial members of the party for not less than three months to the date of the delegates’ congress with evidence of payment of membership dues at the rate of N200 per month.
Also, in a timetable and schedule of activities for its primaries released by National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, the PDP said it had fixed between tomorrow and January 3 for the sale of its nomination and expression of interest forms.
The by-elections holding on February 3 would be conducted into Ebonyi South Senatorial District of Ebonyi State; Yobe East Senatorial District of Yobe State; Plateau North Senatorial District of Plateau State; Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State.
Others are: Jalingo/Zorro/Zing Federal Constituency of Taraba State; Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State; Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency of Kebbi State; Chibok State Constituency of Borno State; Chikun State Constituency of Kaduna State; Guma State Constituency of Benue State.
Bature said the screening of PDP aspirants would also hold on January 4, while appeal for the party’s primaries would hold on January 9.
The National Organising Secretary explained that the last day for the submission of candidates’ names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal is January 12, while the last day for nomination of party agents is scheduled for January 20.
The party pegged its cost of expression of interest form for Senate and House of Representatives at N500,000 each, while that of nomination form at N3 million and N2 million.
For the House of Assembly, the expression of interest form was fixed at N100,000 while the cost of nomination form is N600,000.
Bature added that female aspirants and PWDs would pay for expression of interest forms only.
Also, the Ebonyi State chapter of the APC has zoned the vacant Ebonyi South senatorial seat to Onicha Local Government Area.
This came on the heels of the declaration of interest by Austin Umahi, the younger brother to Works Minister David Umahi, in the senatorial seat.
The seat became vacant when David Umahi took his current appointment as a minister in the Tinubu administration.
Following his resignation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), pursuant to relevant provisions of the laws and Senate President Godwill Akpabio declared the seat vacant.
At its meeting yesterday, the State Working Committee of the ruling party zoned the seat to Onicha Local Government area.
The Umahis hail from neighbouring Ohaozara Local Government Area.
Austin was also the Director of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s Divine Mandate Campaign Council.
