Dogara and 125 APC candidates seek reimbursement of nomination fees

Disgruntled aspirants who attended the March 26 National Convention of the All Progressive Congress in power have vowed to sue the party leadership for failing to refund payment for their declaration of interest forms and of appointment.

The development comes four months after they were asked to step down for the party's current national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and other members of the national working committee.

Some concerned politicians who spoke in separate interviews expressed concern that they had explored and exhausted all their options, with the only obstacle being the national president.

Depending on the category of expression of interest and nomination forms, the 126 candidates who contested various positions had to pay between 20 and 2.5 million naira.

By the end of the fiscal year, APC raised over 700 million naira with an additional 3 billion naira generated among stakeholders and party members ahead of the presidential primary.

There have also been complaints that despite the huge revenue generated by the party leadership between March and August, the ad hoc workers, staff and relevant party members who were hired have also not received their social allowances.

Aspirants invited to retire at the National Convention

Concerned aspirants who stepped down for Adamu in the National President category included Senator Umar Al-Makura, Salihu Mustapha, Muhammed Sani Musa, Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, Senator George Akume and Mohammed Etsu.

Those in the category of National Vice President (North), who stood down for the consensus candidacy of Senator Abubakar Kyari, were Yakubu Dogara, Faruq Aliyu, Sunny Sylvester Monidefe, Senator Ken Nnamani, Malam Isa Yuguda and Emmanuel Joseph.

For the post of National Secretary, three candidates including former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu; Oyedele Ifeoluwa and Professor Olaiya Olaitan were sacrificed for the candidacy of Senator Iyiola Omisore.

In the category of National Vice-Presidents (South-South), Yekini Nabena and Worgu Chambers were asked to stand down for Victor Giadom.

Besides the aforementioned contenders, there are 113 other aggrieved politicians who have yet to be reimbursed.

One of the affected candidates, who spoke to our correspondent confidentially, promised to collect his nomination forms before Adamu was expelled.

Adamu "deliberately" delays refund

He said, "We know how much was raised at the convention and even the APC presidential primary. So what's the problem? We party members are also aware of how much money was raised. been handed out for Osun and Ekiti elections. I still don't understand why Adamu is struggling to comply with the president's directive.

"The only reason we've been slow to take this issue to court so far was to avoid putting our presidential candidate, Asiwaju, in a bad light. But as things stand , we have no choice but to go to court. Everyone knows that what happened in the congress where we had to resign cannot be called an election. Maybe it is be for this reason that some of them in the North West Company, including Adamu, acted with impunity."

In one of the letters written to Adamu dated June 21 and joined by 107 signatories, the aggrieved aspirants also accused the party leadership of excluding them from active participation and postings in the party's last primaries for the election. election of various candidates.

The letter read in part: "Your Excellency, remember that President Muhammadu Buhari, in his speech at the convention, ordered that for those who agreed to step down, the party reimburse the money they have paid for the purchase of the expression of interest and nomination forms.

"For the record, it is not worth considering the reality of the enormous expenses we incurred in our campaigns, the amount of which was far greater than the cost of purchasing the forms.

"Our able chairman, we want to assure you and the leadership of the APC that we will do our best to ensure that the party emerges victorious in the upcoming general election in 2023.

“Without being discouraged, we would like to express that we have been excluded from the lists of the party's primary commissions which have just been completed for the election of the various candidates of our party in the general elections. »

Speaking to The PUNCH, one of the concerned mid-north aspirants, Yusuf Elaigwe, however expressed his optimism when he told our reporter that he still agrees with Adamu on the matter .

"I can't comment on that. But there is progress. I will have a meeting with the national president about it next week," he said.

Another aspirant, Sunny Sylvester Monidefe, who resigned for Kyari confirmed to have written to Adamu.

Monidefe, however, expressed frustration that the president has yet to provide details on how they are set up...