Sale of forms: PDP to generate over N400m from Imo guber aspirants

The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is set to rake-in more than N400 million from gubernatorial aspirants in Imo State, where at least 26 aspirants have lined up to contest for Governor Rochas Okorocha’s seat in the 2015 general elections.

The party, which introduced big-money politics into the country’s electioneering since it gained prominence in 1999, through its usually exorbitant fees for nomination forms, would receive about N371.8 million from sale of such forms from the Imo gubernatorial aspirants.

The party, in its electioneering timetable released recently, announced that each governorship aspirant would pay N10 million for the nomination form and an additional N1 million for expression-of-interest.

Candidates seeking election into the Senate are to pay N4 million and N400,000 for nomination form and expression-of-interest, respectively, while each aspirant for the House of Representatives would pay N2.4 million for both forms. Aspirants for the state’s House of Assembly would pay a total of N1.2 million.

Additionally, the party asks each of the aspirants on its platform to pay 15 percent of the total amount to the party’s zonal offices and another 15 percent to the state offices.

Investigation by BD SUNDAY indicate that for each of the 26 governorship aspirants in Imo, the PDP would make N11 million for the nomination and expression-of-interest forms alone; another N1.65 million (being 15 percent of total forms money) to the zonal office and a similar thing (N1.65 million) for the state office. This brings the total to N12.65 million by each gubernatorial aspirant.

Imo PDP governorship aspirants include Ifeanyi Araraume (former senator and governorship aspirant); Emeka Ihedioha (currently the deputy speaker, House of Representatives); Ikedi Ohakim (the immediate past governor, 2007 – 2011); Martin Agbaso (former APGA leader in Imo); Julius Kpaduwa, Marcel Anyanwu; Ifeyinwa Okafor; Ike C. Ibe; Obi Adim; Chris Brown; Bethel Amadi (currently the president of the African Parliament); Humphrey Anumudu (long standing aspirant); Ken Njemanze (former state attorney-general and commissioner for justice); Jerry Chukwu (business mogul and chairman of Germaine Auto Centre, Lekki); Chuka Odom; Emma Ojinere; Charles Onyeagbako; Bright Nwanne; Ken Ojiri; Bethel Nzimako; Charles Onuoha; Charles Amanze; Chijioke Nwosu and Clara Igolo Njoku

Meanwhile, further investigations show that the PDP would make well in excess of N300 million additionally from aspirants to the Senate, House of Reps and the State’s House of Assembly, where over 100 people have lined up to contest.

The streets in Owerri and other major towns are already adorning posters and billboards of aspirants with divers messages.

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