By At a time when the cost of nomination forms of the two major political parties — All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — has stirred mixed reactions, the African Action Congress (AAC), in a rather surprising move, has announced that its forms for all elective positions are free.
The AAC spokesperson, Femi Adeyeye disclosed in a statement on Thursday, saying the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) took the decision was informed by the current economic problems Nigerians are facing.
The statement read in part, “With a maddening inflation rate of 18 percent, unemployment at 33.3 percent, youth unemployment at 53.4 percent, underemployment at 51 percent, Dollar to Naira exchange rate at 599 Naira to 1 Dollar, hike in electricity and other tariffs, workers’ minimum wage of N30,000 which in reality is barely paid, it is near impossible to find brilliant, financially upright and competent change-seeking Nigerians who would pay exorbitant and illegal fees such as the APC’s and PDP’s, just so as to contest in an election.
“As the Buhari regime has priced education, quality healthcare and other social services from the reach of the poor, it is clearer now more than ever, that it has priced participatory democracy so far from the reach of genuine change-seeking but poor people.
“The downward review from the AAC NWC, to the point of declaring free for all positions, came after a clinical assessment of the economic woes caused by the unfortunate Buhari regime.”
Adeyeye added that the AAC understands that for inclusive democracy to be kept alive in Nigeria, even the poorest among the citizens must not be disenfranchised “through the backdoor – the money politics the evil twin, APC and PDP are known for.”
The AAC was established in 2018 by Nigerian activist and Publisher of popular news website Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore who was its presidential candidate in the 2019 elections. He, however, lost after polling 33,953 votes.
