PDP Presidential Aspirant Drags Party, INEC To Court Over N40 Million Nomination Form Fee

A presidential candidate on the platform of the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ayoola Falola, has urged the Federal High Court in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital to nullify the processes of the primary election of the party ahead of the 2023 general election.

Ayoola is challenging the party for charging N40 millon for its nomination form in the forthcoming presidential election.

In the suit, Ayoola also joined the Independent National Electoral Commission and the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu.

In his prayers in the suit instituted at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Falola deposed that the party lacks the power to issue guidelines requesting for payment of nomination forms and expression of interest forms from the claimant of any other member aspiring to contest for a public office in the forthcoming general election of 2023.

Citing section 84(3) of the electoral act, 2022 and sections 65, 66,106, 107, 131, 137,177,187,224 and 224 and 15(2) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended, the plaintiff prayed that the court should declare the process as null and void.

He further declared that INEC has the power to monitor the operations of the PDP with regard to imposition in its constitution, guidelines or rules additional nomination qualifications or disqualification criteria.

Falola also is of the opinion that, his party, PDP lacks the power to disenfranchise him from contesting for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because he didn’t pay the fees pegged by the party for the purchase of the Nomination and expression of interest form.