An All Progressives Congress, APC, aspirant into the House of Representatives, Christopher Ojo, has condemned the high cost placed on expression of interest and nomination forms by political parties ahead of the 2023 general elections, saying the action of the political parties was to ensure that moneybags continue to hold on to power which negates the essence of the “Not Too Young To Run Act.”
He noted that many youths who were willing and ready to participate in the coming elections have been discouraged with the development.
He said: “If not indirectly telling us to wait for more time or perhaps, be involved in corrupt acts, where do they expect us (youths) to get this huge amount of money from to buy just form.
“From what I have seen so far, there is no party that sells forms below N3 million, forgetting that much more money will be spent in campaigns and other logistics.
“Tell me, how many of us can really afford this cost and yet, they preached to us about inclusive participation.”
Ojo appealed to the political parties that have already fixed their prices for the forms to reconsider it by reducing the cost, “If the plan for inclusiveness is real and we want to make true the essence of Not Too Young To Run Act, then the political parties must as a matter of urgency see the need to address this issue.”
