Council poll: Socialist Party kicks against nomination fees by Oyo electoral body

Ahead of the May 12 local council poll in Oyo State, the Socialist Party of Nigeria has rejected the directive by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission ordering the payment of nomination fees of N150,000 and N100,000 by chairmanship and councillorship candidates respectively.
A statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by the party’s Chairman in the state, Kolapo Oladapo, condemned the demand for nomination fees by the electoral body.
Oladapo said: “The payment of such fees is not only illegal but also capable of undermining the credibility of the election itself.
“The OYSIEC is a public institution that its establishment by the state government is supported by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to conduct election into local government areas across the state.
“This implies the funding of OYSIEC including the provision of materials to facilitate its function.
“The basis for its establishment should be the sole responsibility of the state government and not political parties or individuals that are to participate in the election to be conducted by the commission.’’
Oladapo further said charging candidates for nomination form would make the election to be less participatory and give room for only a few candidates of the ruling party to participate.
The party called on the state electoral body to reverse its decision to allow more political parties to take part in the electoral processes.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that OYSIEC had fixed May 12 for the conduct of chairmanship and councillorship poll in the 33 local government councils and 35 local council development areas in the state.