N100 Million Nomination Form: We don’t want to beg for money in election year – APC Chairman
N100 Million Nomination Form: We don’t want to beg for money in election year – APC Chairman
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, on Friday defended his party’s decision to charge a premium for its 2023 election nomination forms.
The party had demanded the sum of N100 million for presidential aspirants and N50 million for governorship aspirants.
READ ALSO: APC pegs purchase of presidential form at N100 million
Critics have faulted the move, saying it has the potential of hurting the nation’s fledgling democracy.
But Adamu, speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja said the APC was justified in its decision because the party needs money to run, especially in an election year.
“We’ve been listening with rapt attention to the hues and cries from our lovers and adversaries. We have no regrets whatsoever,” Adamu said.
“We did some homework; we know what it takes to go through primaries, go through the presidential campaign, go through election to be president; we know what it takes.
“We also do know that there are citizens who are qualified to contest, but who are not serious contenders, who will just want to take anything cheap by the roadside. Even the enormity of work that has to be done – and this work will be done with money.
“And we don’t want to continue to beg, particularly in an election year. So we want to see that we are able to mobilise sufficient funds to support our efforts to win election.
“The criticism, in some quarters, may be well-founded – I have no quarrel with that, but we wear the shoes for our party and we know where it pinches.”