Why the N100m charged by APC for 2023 election forms is fair – Akpabio

The Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, said on Thursday the N100 million the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirants paid for the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms was a fair deal.

The former Akwa Ibom governor stated this when he featured in the Channels Television programme, Politics Today.

He said the fee charged by the ruling party for its presidential forms was a fair deal because the aspirants were not expected to raise the money themselves.

The minister noted that Nigeria was a poor country despite its enormous potential due to several factors.

The bogus fee charged by the APC had drawn criticism from Nigerians with many asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offices Commission (ICPC) to probe the source of income of any aspirant who pays the money to buy forms.

Akpabio said: “The N100million in my opinion is very fair. You see, even in modern democracies like America, the United Kingdom and others it is not the candidate that sends himself into presidential elections; it is the people.

“So, when you talk about Nigeria, just 100 Nigerians bringing out N1million will give you N100million.

“Nigeria is not supposed to be a poor country but several factors combined together to make it poor at the moment.

“Even in the Electoral Act, it is prescribed that people should also contribute in order to ensure a very fantastic campaign. So, if the people have your buy-in in your coming into power, then you should also remember that you have an obligation to deliver and to satisfy them.

“Therefore, I want to believe that any serious presidential candidate does not need to go into his bank account and bring out N100million because you are not the person going to vote for yourself.”

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