LP: Edo election for serious candidates, N30m form price stands

The National Leadership of the Labour Party will not reduce the N30m fee for Edo State governorship nomination and expression of interest forms.

In a Sunday interview, LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh urged all candidates to raise funds.

In describing the Edo State governorship election as a serious business, the LP Publicity Secretary asked how candidates who could not raise N30m for forms would get money “to prosecute the main election that will cost you hundreds of millions.”

Ifoh responded to a call by Edo State governorship candidate Egbe Omorodion and three others to review the N30m form fee by the Labour Party.

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Omorodion noted that other aspirants felt the same way, but none had contacted him, adding that they would meet on Monday to harmonise and inform the party.

Some aspirants and party members claimed moneybags had hijacked the state party.

Kelly Ogbaloi, the party chairman, denied the claim, saying the party would level the playing field for all candidates.

Before February’s primaries, 34 candidates are running for the party.

According to Omoridion, they were not forcing the party to lower the form’s price, but they were asking the party leadership to include people with good intentions.

He struggled to balance his conscience and the form’s price, worried it would silence their ballot-voting supporters.

“I can tell you that four of us (are) calling on the party to lower form prices,” he said. We will meet on Monday to coordinate and express our views to the party hierarchy.

The form’s price suggests politics is being monetized, which we don’t want. Each Imo State election form cost N15m. Edo is different—why?

We’re not forcing the party to review the price, just inviting them to participate. If we are shut out, the people we represent will have no voice.”

The UK LP Chairman, Omorodion, advised against selling forms to raise party funds because people may feel exempted.

According to him, the party has not lost steam since Peter Obi lost the presidential election, but “we have not had the candidate to shake the base.”

But LP National Publicity Secretary Ifoh said the Edo State governorship was serious business for the party.

He said, “My immediate reaction is that of the three major political parties in Nigeria, the Labour Party charges the lowest. We have better odds of winning the Edo State governorship.

We are in a serious business, and if you can’t buy N30m, how will you prosecute the hundreds-million-dollar main election? We are not just filling names in the Edo State governorship election; we are filling great names that can win for the party.

So we ask aspirants to be patient. Request that they find the money. A party decision was made. We won’t refund expression of interest or nomination form fees.”