He said the nomination fees charged by political parties were not only ridiculous and unaffordable, but unconstitutional.
Nkechi Chima, Abuja
Piqued by the high cost of nomination form, a presidential aspirant, Christian Akpodiete, yesterday dragged the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
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Akpodiete, also included the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and some registered political parties in the suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/951/2018.
The human rights activist is asking the court to restrain the APC, PDP from going ahead with the scheduled primaries and if they do, he is asking the court to declare such primaries null and void.
Not done, Akpodiete, in a statement, is also asking the court to restrain INEC from recognising such primaries, pending the determination of the substantial suit.
He said the nomination fees charged by political parties were not only ridiculous and unaffordable, but unconstitutional.
“The nomination fees are repugnant to the rules of natural justice, equity and good conscience.
“It’s an attempt by the Nigeria political oligarchs to make nonsense of the just passed (NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN LAW), and it is a calculated move to deprive the Nigeria people their constitutional guaranteed right to run for public office in their own country,” he added.
He is also asking the court to give a judicial breath to this matter by pegging the nomination fees for all elective positions at N18,000 (Eighteen thousand naira), according to him is the nation’s minimum wage.
Akpodiete is praying the court that if the nomination fees is beyond that amount, the ordinary Nigerian worker who earns N18,000,00, (eighteen thousand Naira) monthly, would be deprived the capacity to achieve their constitutionally guaranteed right, which includes the right to run for public office.
The lawyer to the complaint, Barrister F.B Ehikioya, explained that “the action is based on a breach of the fundamental human right of all Nigeria aspirants and any attempt to keep the Nigeria people down shall be collectively rejected.”
Recalled that Akpodiete had earlier on written to the APC chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, appealing to the party to jettison the nomination fees or keep it within the minimum wage.
The case is awaiting hearing.
