As governorship elections approach in Nigeria’s Edo State, aspirants of the Liberty Progressive (LP) party have expressed displeasure over the exorbitant fees charged for nomination forms. Dr Egbe Omorodion, a UK-based financial analyst and gubernatorial aspirant, told a press conference that all the aspirants had rejected the proposal and planned to come together to make a joint decision.
The LP had last January announced a fee of N30 million for nomination and expression of interest forms for Edo State governance candidates in the September 21 elections. However, women aspirants were exempted from this fee.
Dr. Omorodion called the fees “shockingly high” and called for a reduction in the amount. He pointed out that during the Imo State elections, the LP reduced the fee to N15 million, and he wondered why this could not also be done for Edo State.
He expressed concern about the impact of these high fees on the participation of candidates and their supporters, noting that many candidates could be deterred and prefer not to run if the party does not reconsider this decision.
Dr. Omorodion, who is also the LP UK Chairman, said by reducing fees, the LP would enable more qualified and committed people to participate in the Edo electoral process, thereby providing voters with more wide variety of choices and improving party democracy.
He also highlighted his experience and qualifications, saying he was uniquely qualified to turn around the economy of Edo State and lead the region to a prosperous future.
Discontent over high application fees within the LP highlights a broader debate about democracy and access to political participation in Nigeria. It is important for political parties to ensure that application fees do not become a barrier for qualified and committed candidates, to ensure broader representativeness and healthy political competition.
The outcome of this meeting between LP aspirants will be decisive for the future of their participation in the Edo State elections and could also have wider implications on how other political parties approach nomination fees during the next elections. To be continued.