NIGERIA’S political process is enmeshed in an ethical quandary fuelled by filthy lucre. Recklessly, the major political parties have polluted the waters afresh as the preparations for the primaries to select their candidates for the 2023 general election gather momentum. The ruling All Progressives Congress fixed the cost of purchasing its forms by aspirants at between N2 million and N100 million. The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party followed suit with similarly high rates topped by a N40 million asking price for the presidential ticket form. The scenario is obscene. There is no justification for this excessive monetisation of the electoral process.
In a country ranked as the extreme poverty capital of the world, and where the minimum wage is N30,000 per month, the parties are insensitive. They are completely alienated from the people they purport to lead. Their moral compass is irreparably shattered.
The bigger culprit in the disgusting monetisation of politics is the APC. It fixed the cost of purchasing the form (and expression of interest) for presidential aspirants at N100 million. Democracy alluringly targets mass participation, but both parties have effectively subverted that ideal. The APC has outdone the PDP, which while in power from 1999 to 2015 at the centre, had blazed the nefarious trail of monetising electoral candidacy and squeezing out Nigerians without deep pockets or monied “godfathers” from seeking public office.
The obnoxious development was evident in the run-up to the 2019 election cycle, as the APC raked in over N7 billion from the sale of forms; the PDP recorded over N3 billion. Only few business ventures record such huge income. Despite a short-lived outcry, nothing significant was done. Nigerians should find creative ways to resist these parties.
For the 2019 elections, the APC presidential form cost N45 million and N22.5 million for governorship contestants. Even then, it was deemed unconscionably high. The PDP gave out its presidential and governorship forms at N12 million and N6 million respectively four years ago.
The stakes are now much higher. Sale of forms to its presidential aspirants has fetched the PDP N646 million. With its more astronomical fees, the APC figure will be much higher; each governorship aspirant in the 36 states will need N50 million to buy a form. An APC Senate aspirant needs N20 million; a House of Representatives’ contender N10 million, and a state House of Assembly aspirant, N2 million.
This trend is severely damaging to the growth of democracy. High fees disenfranchise a vast majority of Nigerians, who cannot afford them even if they have the brilliant ideas and potential to deploy if they get a shot at the office. In the past, Shehu Shagari, Adekunle Ajasin, Bisi Akande, and many others with modest means won public office in the first and second republics.
Again, it eliminates the youth from the electoral process. It ridicules the Not Too Young to Run law. In contrast, youthful leaders are making a difference around the world. For four years, a former Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, was the world’s youngest leader after he attained power in 2017 at age 31. New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern became prime minister the same year at 37. Emmanuel Macron was first elected French president at 39. Finland’s Sanna Marin was elected premier at 34 in 2019, Gabriel Boric at 36 in Chile in March this year, and Leo Varadkar of Ireland at 38 in 2017. Nigeria’s marginalised youth can only dream of such exploits.
The enormous fees play into the hands of manipulative ‘moneybags’ and godfathers with vested interests. After providing such support, the sponsors proceed to hijack and exercise corruptive control over public governance. Often, the elected official is a mere puppet. This has negative impact on governance in a country already suffering from chronic leadership deficit.
Unlike in better functioning democracies, Nigeria’s political parties therefore do not rely on their members to fund their activities. This upturns the concept of party politics. In the United Kingdom, the Conservative and Labour parties each charge a standard annual membership fee of £25. The Conservatives charge £15 and £5 per annum for the Armed Forces and children respectively. This sensible template subsisted during Nigeria’s First Republic.
Stakeholders should unite to change the system. The political space should be deliberately made open to talented, public-spirited Nigerians. The current monetised format prevents inclusion and restricts participation. The hallmark of democracy is egalitarianism; in Nigeria, it is becoming elitist.
Compare this to the UK, where a candidate running for a Member of Parliament seat pays a deposit of £500. If he wins five per cent of the ballot, his deposit is refunded. In the United States, each state determines its fate. While many states charge $1,000 to run for president in the Republican and Democratic parties, Iowa is unique in that it charges no fee to contest in the presidential primaries. Republican candidates in South Carolina pay $40,000 each (the highest). Interestingly, a Democratic contender pays just $2,500 in the same state, but the party pays $20,000 administrative fees to the state on behalf of candidates.
There is no justification for Nigeria’s high fees. Graphically, it depicts all that is wrong with Nigeria’s political economy: where public office is not for service but goes to the highest bidder. The UK economy is valued at $2.70 trillion; the US economy is $20.94 trillion. Nigeria’s economy is valued at a paltry $432.3 billion. After ‘buying’ the party ticket at the primaries, huge sums are spent campaigning. Expectedly, this fuels massive corruption as the buyers and their sponsors will go all out to recoup their investment in office.
The essence of democracy is to give everybody a sense of belonging. To assuage public outrage, the parties themselves should review these fees to accommodate more aspirants. The excluded aspirants should litigate to force a review. The National Assembly should amend the electoral law to impose cost limits.
The Independent National Electoral Commission should penalise candidates who exceed the limit stipulated in the law during electioneering.
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