The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has said that the cost of the expression of interest and nomination forms recently announced by the All Progressives Congress showed the party’s (APC) insensitivity to the plight of youths in the country.
Ayu made this known in a statement by his Special Adviser on Communication & Strategy, Simon Imobo-Tswam, on Thursday, stating that the APC had disenfranchised many Nigerian youths despite signing the Not Too Young To Run Bill into law in 2018.
The PDP National Chairman said pegging the presidential nomination form at such an amount painted the APC as hypocrites.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the APC pegged its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at N100 million; N70 million for the nomination form and N30 million for the expression of interest form.
Ayu berated the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, who is the leader of the APC, for sanctioning such increment despite purchasing his form at a much lower price.
“Nigerians will recall how in 2014, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, now President and leader of the APC, told Nigerians that he had to borrow N27m to buy his nomination form. The same man, as leader of his party, has now sanctioned the sale of the same forms at N100m! I am told that’s an increase of 370 per cent”.
“By this latest insensitive action, the APC has disenfranchised thousands of her youths and dashed the hopes of millions of Nigerian youths who applauded President Buhari when he signed the Not Too Young To Run Bill into law in 2018.
“It is most insensitive and mind-boggling. All those buying the N100m and N50m nomination forms should be investigated for fraud,” the statement read in part.
