A former national vice chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has lamented the increasing cost of expression of interest and nomination forms by political parties in the country.
In a statement on Tuesday, Lukman expressed fears that by 2027, the APC might charge N250 million for expression of interest and nomination forms for presidency and N125 million for governorship.
Lukman expressed concerns that the APC is “progressively losing the little democratic credentials” which encouraged Nigerians to expect the possibility of a progressive party emerging out of it in 2015.
Politics Nigeria reports that cost of APC presidential and governorship forms in 2014, ahead of the 2015 general elections, was N27.5 million and N5 million respectively.
In 2019, it increased to N45 million and N22.5 million. It, however, climbed to N100 million and N50 million in 2023, respectively.
Lukman had lamented the inability of APC leaders to meet President Bola Tinubu since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.