The Africa Democratic Congress, ADC has again written a reminder condemning Imposition of administrative fees on political Parties, seeking to contest the forthcoming Council elections in the state by the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC).
ADC in a petition addressed to the Speaker Ogun State House of Assembly by its the law chamber of Akorede Seriki and Co, called on the Assembly to compel the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission OGSIEC to stop the collection of the fees because it’s against the law.
The petition reminded the Speaker that “in preparation of the forthcoming local government Chairmanship Election slated to hold on the 16th November 2024, the Ogun state Independent Electoral Commission in a Stakeholder’s meeting held on the 8th of August 2024 at the Cultural Centre Kuto Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria, with all the entire Political Parties and their prospective candidate deliberated on the way forward to having peaceful elections within the state vis a vis some financial obligations there from.
“Also recall that OGSIEC in a statement issued by the Chairman amongst other things at the said meeting stated that each Political Party would on behalf of their respective candidate be required to pay the sum of N250, 000. 00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for Chairmanship candidate
N150, 000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for male councilors and N100, 000.00 (One Hundred
Thousand Naira) for female candidates which he announced that the STATE ASSEMBLY ORDERED that they should request for the said nomination fee from all candidates and this was vehemently objected to by our Client immediately as being reckless.
“Our Client has on the 10th of August 2024 in the above referenced Newspaper subsequently expressed her displeasure whereof the Commission was enjoined to withdraw the unpopular move for same is not only aimed at disenfranchising our Client’s from participating in the forthcoming election, discourage modesty in the electoral process, escalates hardship on people but grossly infringed on our Client’s fundamental right which informed this correspondence for immediate redress.
“Also we were instructed by our client to write a demand letter to the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission
dated 11/08/2024 which was delivered to the commission and was received.
“It was also recalled that the Chairman of Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission was on a radio program tagged Oju Abe on Splash FM Abeokuta dated 15/08/2024 where he categorically said that the Ogun State House of Assembly gave his commission the mandate to request for the nomination fee from the candidates.
“However, our Client, have engaged her legal team to research on the prerogative of the OGSIEC to make such demands and why the Ogun State House of Assembly would agree to this unlawful request. This move is not just illegal but a ploy to disenfranchise our Client, extort innocent Nigerians who have or might have interest in participating in the election and further instill more hardship already caused by the current administration on poor Nigerians.
It is in light of the above that we hereby demand “That the demand for the sum of N250, 000. 00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for Chairmanship candidate N150, 000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for male councilors and N100,
000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) for female candidate as nomination fee and/or any fee whatsoever as
unconstitutional, unpopular, unlawful and illegal ultimately aimed at disenfranchising our Client.
“We demand that this
unlawful NOMINATION FEE should be scrapped immediately.
