The pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has reacted to the cost of the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms fixed by the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party for the 2023 elections.
The position of the group was made known by its General Secretary, Chief Sola Ebiseni, in Akure, Ondo State on Wednesday.
Ebiseni said the cost of presidential forms, fixed at N100 million by the APC and N40 million by the PDP, was a confirmation of the shameful state of the country’s economy.
He said: “The cost of the APC nomination forms is only responding to the shameful state of the economy under its government where the rate of inflation is intractable and cost of living unprecedentedly unbearable.
“It is an insulting message to the pauperised Nigerians that they have no say in the governance of Nigeria or any part thereof.
“It is a direct affront to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and particularly the declaration in Section 14 (2) (b) that the participation of Nigerians in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.
“How can the poor members of the party who are so blatantly discriminated against, on the basis of their situation in life, contrary to Section 42 of the constitution, participate in the governance of the country, particularly in a country where only a political party can field a candidate and no independent candidate allowed.
“Unfortunately, the two dominant parties are both guilty in this game of absurdity and conspiracy against the ordinary Nigerians in the access to their platforms for political participation.
“For the PDP, it runs contrary to the objectives of their founding fathers led by the likes of Alex Ekwueme and Solomon Lar.
“The country has been handed over to the nouveau rich only the restructuring of its political architecture, liberalising access of the citizens to power, can stem the inevitable descent to oligarchy and anarchy.”
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