Buhari breaking the law if he accepts the N45m form bought by a group —SKC Ogbonnia

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) SKC Ogbonnia has added his voice to the debate over a group saying it has bought the forms worth N45 million for President Muhammadu Buhari to contest the elections.

Members of the Nigerian Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN) on Wednesday were at the APC national secretariat in Abuja to buy the form expression of interest and nomination forms worth N45.5 million for the president to re-contest the presidential election.

But reacting to the move, Ogbonnia, who is also aspiring for the party’s presidential ticket stated that President Buhari would be breaking the law if he accepted the ticket.

According to him, “the President ought to reject the form. If he accepts the form, it contravenes Section 91 (9) of Nigeria’s Electoral Law (as amended): ‘No individual or other entity shall donate more than one million naira (1,000,000) to any candidate’”

He also revealed that he had in a recent letter to the party’s national Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, enumerated the consequences of exorbitant nomination fees, especially coming from a progressive party.

Read also: Group picks N45m APC presidential form for Buhari

“Cost of Nomination Forms: So many figures are being bandied on the media, ranging from 1 million to N55 million for cost of nomination forms. My campaign is willing and able to pay any amount, within the law, for the office of the president… However, not everyone is able. Therefore, for other electoral offices—besides the office of the president—I strongly appeal to the party to reduce the nomination fees to the barest minimum so that individuals, particularly the youth and women, who aspire to run for office can afford such fees”, Ogbonnia, has written in his letter dates September 1, 2018 to Oshiomhole.

The Business tycoon turned businessman said that as at the time of his latest reaction to the group paying for a form for the president, neither the party nor Oshiomhole had replied his letter.

“Since the deadline is Monday, September 10th, 2018, I am committed to paying for my form, but it is only fair that President Buhari does not break the law to pay for his. I expect our great party to ensure a level playing ground throughout the primaries”, he said.

 

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