Ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra state, youths in the state have pleaded with the state governor, Willie Obiano, and stakeholders of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to consider reducing the cost of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, presently pegged at 22 million naira.
The pleas of the youths are contained in a letter obtained by Blueprint Wednesday, addressed to the Governor of Anambra, Chief Willie Obiano, and National Chairman of APGA, Victor Oye, signed by Coordinator of Nigerian Youths Leadership, Alex Anoma, and Secretary, Sonia Ogechi, National President, Nigerian Youths Decide, Amb. Uche Ekepere Paul, speaker of Ndigbo Youth Parliament, Hon. Rikki Nwajiofor, respectively, with acknowledged copy received by the Anambra State Liaison Office in Abuja on April 22.
Titled “appeal of cost reduction for Expression of Interest and Nomination Form by Igbo youth and groups to allow fairness, equity and youth inclusion in Nov 6th Anambra gubernatorial election”, the youths revealed that “female aspirants or those living with disabilities were encouraged by the party by being granted 50% discount and that youths should also be considered” especially as the Peoples Democraric Party (PDP) also gave discounts to Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife (senator representing Anambra central), Mrs Alexandra Onyemelukwe (daughter of former Vice President Alex Ekwueme) and Mrs Jane Enekwechi to pay only one million naira, instead of the proposed 25 million naira paid by other PDP aspirant for Expression of Interest (EOI) and Nomination forms.
The letter reads: “We have just been informed of the APGA date for primaries set for June 23rd and the nomination forms, which are pegged at 22 million naira. We also note that female aspirants or those living with disabilities were encouraged by the party by being granted 50% discount. This comes as welcome news because it champions inclusiveness.
“We realize that PDP equally encouraged women by discounting their forms as well, thereby allowing the likes of Sen. Ekwunife, Mrs Onyemelukwe and Mrs Enekwechi, who are power house politicians of repute, pay 1 million naira only for Expression ofInterest (EOI), while the nomination forms were obtained for free.
“It is in this light that we plead that discount of EOl and nomination forms be equally bestowed on the youths who show interest in participating in the Nov. 6th election under APGA.
“Chief Odera Ozoka is a Harvard educated youth, who happens to show interest in running for the Gubernatorial Election. His experience makes him qualified and we are going to be galvanizing our members to support him. These are: Nigeria Must Be Great- NMBGA (Diaspora), Nigerian Youths Decide (NYD), Ndigbo Youth Parliament (NYP), Youth Advancement Initiative (YAI), Diamond Youth Submission Initiative (DYT).
“These mentioned above groups, amongst others, will like to support his candidacy by purchasing the EOI and nomination forms. This is to encourage him and many other youths across this country looking to get involved in helping uplift Nigeria byparticipating in one political contest or the other.
“Dear Sirs, many of our youths are aggrieved and desperately pained. We feel as though the political elites and our elder statesmen have deliberately kept us down so as to keep us powerless, voiceless and inefficient in this country. Setting EOI and nomination form at 22 million naira just proves this to us as a continuation of a separative activity, whereby only a selected few, obviously older men, benefit from our politics; while capable young people are left in the dark or separated from the decision making tables in this state and country.
“Greatly discounting the forms for our youths to 1 million naira each- 2million naira total- (or 1 million naira total as in the case of PDP to women of great political stature)- Your Excellencies, will go a long way in the healing process and help with inclusivity that is desperately needed. It will also allow us reach out to our members to galvanize them for our chosen candidate. God bless you both, God bless APGA, God bless Anambra as you consider this request.”
However, speaking with Blueprint on Wednesday, 37 year old Harvard-educated entrepreneur and governorship aspirant under APGA, Chief Odera Ozoka, said that he will not be deterred by the cost of the forms as he has youths of the state by his side.
Odera stated that, as a party man, he follows the party’s direction and will go about raising the funds through his youth coalition and believes he would be successful, even as he prayed that, for fairness and justice, all political parties should consider providing discount for forms; in order to allow more youths to partake in the process of governance.
“I am a party man. APGA is my party and so I’m sure we’ll do whatever it takes with the help of Nigerian youths to pick the ticket and form as stipulated by our leadership. But my prayer is that in the future and with all political parties across Nigeria, more considerations are made towards the millions of Nigerian youths, who would like to get involved in politics, but can’t afford such insurmountable cost for ticket andforms, just as considerations have been rightly done for women and the disabled,” he said.
Blueprint recalls that Nwajiofor, who is the speaker of Ndigbo Youth Parliament, alluded to the non response of the APGA leadership towards the coalition of youths’ plea for reduction in the cost of forms, after raising 2 million naira for Ozoka last weekend.
