The All Progressives Congress (APC) has made more than N28 billion by selling forms to people who want to run for president, governor, or the National Assembly.
APC has decided that presidential forms will cost N100 million, governorship forms will cost N50 million, Senate forms will cost N20 million, and Representative forms will cost N10 million.
But women who wanted to run only had to pay for the “expression of interest,” which was about 40% of the cost of nomination forms. Young people (under 40) had to pay for both the “expression of interest” and 50% of the nomination forms.
At the end of forms being sold and turned in, 28 people are running for president, 145 for governor, 351 for the Senate, and 1197 for the House of Representatives.
The party’s state secretariats are in charge of selling forms for the State Houses of Assembly.
At the start of the screening process for governorship and National Assembly candidates on Saturday in Abuja, the APC’s national organizing secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, said how many positions were taken care of by the national secretariat.
Argungu also said that the screening of presidential candidates will start on May 24. He also said that some people who wanted to run for the highest office have already quit.
He said, “So far, we have 145 people who want to be governor, and we have set up three panels to screen them. We also have 351 people who want to be senators and have filled out and returned their forms, and we have 1197 people who want to be in the House of Representatives, and we have 10 panels to screen them.” There will be four groups for the Senate.
“We have the rules for our great party, which will be given to each of the panels and the appeals committee for screening. We also have a set of guidelines and aspirant assessment and verification forms that will be given to each of the committees for the screening. Each of the panels will also be given a collection of the forms’ names and expressions of interest forms.
“We expect to finish this work between now and tomorrow. In Fraiser Suites, the three panels for those running for governor and the four panels for those running for the Senate will be here. The panel for those running for the House of Representatives will be here soon.
“So far, we have 28 people who want to run for president, and as you know, some of them have started dropping out. As a result, they will be screened on the 23rd of this month.”
At the start of the committees, Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of the APC, told members to do their jobs well so that the party can put forward the best candidates for the general election in 2023.
Adamu, who was represented by Abubakar Kyari, the APC’s deputy national chairman for the north, said, “I’m sure most of you have been through this before, and I’m sure that if you look to your left and your right, you’ll see someone who is honest and who is here because of their merit.”
“We have a very strong party, a big party, and we are committed to putting up the right candidates for the upcoming elections. We do not doubt that the distinguished women and men gathered here will do exactly that.”
