Don’t turn our democracy into plutocracy, PRP warns SIECs

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has warned State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) not to turn Nigeria’s fledgling democracy into a plutocracy, condemning what it described as imposition of exorbitant fees for nomination forms to contest local government elections.

These fees, such as N10million for chairmanship and N5million for councillorship candidates in Kano, and N2million for chairmanship and N600,000 for councillorship in Kaduna, the party said are blatant attempts to disenfranchise ordinary Nigerians from participating in their local governance.

The National Chairman of the party, Falalu Bello, in a statement made available to Daily Trust on Thursday in Abuja, expressed shock at the SIECs’ disregard for equity and fairness, fundamental principles of democracy.

He argued that the right to participate in elections should not be constrained by financial barriers.

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“Charging such high fees excludes the vast majority of Nigerians, who are economically disadvantaged, from contesting elections and participating in governance. This practice effectively limits participation to the wealthy or those with financial backing, which could perpetuate the mismanagement of local government resources,” he said.

Bello added that “The PRP demands that states like Kano and Kaduna revise these fees to more reasonable amounts or eliminate them entirely. Unlike the SIECs, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which oversees national and state assembly elections, does not impose nomination fees. It is unjust to maintain a system that favors only the rich and powerful at the expense of the broader population.”

He urged all states to follow INEC’s example and eliminate fees for nomination forms.

“Democracy should be inclusive, not exclusive. We warn that if the ruling class persists in these practices, ordinary Nigerians, including the youth who make up over 60% of registered voters, may eventually rebel. Such outcomes would be a direct consequence of the current policies that exclude ordinary citizens from the electoral process,” the national chairman added.