Benue LG polls: AAC demands withdrawal of arbitrary charges imposed on candidates

The African Action Congress (AAC) has called for the immediate withdrawal of what it described as arbitrary charges imposed on candidates participating in the upcoming Local Government Area (LGA) elections in Benue State, scheduled for October 5, 2024.

According to the AAC, the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has demanded that chairmanship candidates pay N500,000 and councillorship candidates pay N250,000.

In addition to these fees, BSIEC is also reportedly requiring handling charges of N115,000 and N90,000 for chairmanship and councillorship candidates, respectively.

In a statement issued by the AAC Chairman, Rex I. Elanu, the party urged Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to intervene and ensure the immediate revocation of these charges.

Elanu described the fees as “unruly extortion” and an attempt to undermine fairness and equity in the democratic process.”

“It has become necessary to address and oppose the counter-democratic ploy of the ruling APC in Benue State towards the forthcoming LGA elections.

“These charges are set up to discourage candidates who are not financially privileged from participating in the elections,” the statement read.

The AAC criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for imposing high nomination fees for political aspirants, contrasting it with the AAC’s approach of providing free nomination forms to its candidates.

The party stated that the high cost of politics in Nigeria should not prevent aspiring leaders from participating in the democratic process.

The party called on Governor Alia to act in the spirit of fairness and democracy, ensuring that all candidates, regardless of financial status, “have a level playing field in the upcoming elections.”