Ondo APC imposes N2m levy to cut down aspirants

 

Ondo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has imposed a N2 million development levy on its 50 governorship aspirants in the state.

According to the party, the money is part of requirements for contesting for the party’s ticket ahead of governorship election in November.

Announcing this development in Akure, the state APC chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, noted that the condition had been agreed by the aspirants and members of the state executive committee.

“Each intending aspirant shall signify his/her intention to the party with a letter of notification addressed to the state chairman and accompanied with a bank draft of N2 million written in favour of All Progressives a Congress, Ondo State, as party development levy in compliance with the duly passed budget 2016 of the party.

“However, female aspirants, shall only accompany their letter of notification with a bank draft of N1 million only,” Kekemeke announced.

He added that there would be no zoning and no deliberate pruning down of the aspirants, as only delegates would reduce the number through their votes at the primaries.

According to him, the aspirants will also attach written undertaking to respect whatever is the outcome of the primary and to support who ever emerges the party’s candidate as well as work for the victory of the party during election.

He also refuted the assumptions that the too many aspirants may not do the party good.

But investigation by Ripples Nigeria revealed that the condition is a strategy the party is employing to scare aspirants who are unserious away.

This is especially as there are rumours that some aspirants only want to use their aspiration to negotiate with those who have the means and are buoyant enough to actually run for the position.

Therefore, with the N2 million naira levy, the party leadership believes that those who are unserious will step down for those who are actually serious and capable for the position.

Meanwhile, those who will fulfill the N2 million naira levy requirement will then proceed to purchase their nomination forms, which price the party will fix later, it was gathered.