Mrs Sharon Ikeazor, the National Women Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), has raised concern about the party’s decision to issue free forms to women who are vying for elective posts in the party.
She expressed the dissatisfaction about the development in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja.
“I am not happy about it because you can never take seriously what you have not invested in,” she said.
Ikeazor, however, said she had advocated for a 50 per cent reduction in the prices of forms for all posts for women but not a total removal of a fee.
“Initially, we advocated for a 50 per cent reduction so that women with genuine ambition could come out for political positions but the party in its wisdom made the forms free”.
She said she had earlier made plans with other stakeholders to raise funds for women who had such ambitions.
“We are in collaboration with organisation such as Women in Business that pledges to sponsor anyone we put forward. “What the women need do is to come forward, make their interests known and we’ll purchase the forms for them,” Ikeazor said.
NAN reports that the expression of interest form fee for presidential aspirant in the party is N2.5 million while the nomination form fee is N25 million.
The governorship aspirants are to pay N500, 000 for expression of interest forms and N5 million for nomination forms.
Aspirants to the Senate are expected to pay N300, 000 for expression of interest forms and another N3 million for nomination.
House of Assembly aspirants are also expected to pay N550, 000 for expression of interest forms and N500, 000 for nomination forms while women aspirants to any of the positions will collect the forms free.
