The Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly, COSMBYLA, has expressed shock over the high cost of forms by the All Progressive Congress, APC, for all positions in the forth-coming 2023 general elections.
While they condemned and described the cost as outrageous, the Coalition said the high cost of mere nomination and Expression of interest forms of a party in power is not only a plot by APC to ruin Nigeria but has gone further to confirm the APC as a “cesspool” of corruption.
COSMBYLA is the umbrella body of all the youth groups in the South-South, South-East, South-West and Middle Belt regions.
They made this observation in a statement signed by its leader and President General, Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, Goodluck Ibem, Coordinator, Forum of Middle Belt Youth Presidents, Terrence Kuanum, Coordinator, South West Youth Leaders Forum, SWYLF, Shittu Waheed and President South South Youth Forum, SSYF, Tito Zokumor, and made available to journalists in Makurdi.
Recall that the APC has pegged their nomination and Expression of interest forms at N100 million for Presidential forms, N50 million for governorship forms, N20 million for Senatorial forms and N10 million for federal house of representative forms.
“President Muhammadu Buhari, who was a Presidential aspirant in 2014 had criticised the party for fixing an “exorbitant” fee of N27.5 million for the presidential forms ahead of the 2015 general elections, was at the event where the party’s leaders fixed the exorbitant fees that is choking Nigerians.
“The annual salary of the president of Nigeria is N14,058,820.00. In 4 years it would be N56,235,280.00k. How will someone apply for a job with N100 million, other campaign expenses exclusive just to earn N56,235,280.00k.
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“As youth leaders of this country who have the interest of our nation Nigeria at heart, We demand to know how someone whose salary will amount to N56,235,280 in 4 years will be applying for the same job with a whopping sum of N100 million.”
The group said they were concerned that “If an APC presidential aspirant brings out N100 million to purchase his party’s Presidential forms, spend all the monies needed to campaign round the country and settle political party heavy weight, if the person eventually wins and is sworn-in as President, our country’s treasury will be emptied, more money will borrowed by the to be President to settle himself, those he borrowed from to bankroll his campaign, his party men will be serviced and the will be no country called Nigeria again because a party wants to remain in power at all cost.
They further note that the high cost of the APC forms will send more Nigerians to bed on empty stomach because of the inflation it will bring to the door steps of Nigerians.
“Already we are having a serious inflation crisis confronting the nation, the outrageous fees of the APC forms will escalate the cost of goods and services which will make things more difficult for Nigerians who are already finding it very difficult to feed once a day.
According to them, President Buhari has confirmed to Nigerians that his reason for contesting for the office of the President was not to build Nigeria, but rather to destroy what is left of the country.
COSMBYLA said President Buhari has failed and Nigerians are not only tired of his administration but are also waiting for his resignation.