The Labour Party will on January 25 begin the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to aspirants for the Edo State governorship election.
The nomination form has been set at N25 million, while the expression of interest form is priced at N5 million, as announced by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, on Wednesday in Abuja.
This disclosure came after a meeting of the party’s National Working Committee.
Mr. Ifoh further noted that, based on the decision of the Labour Party National Working Committee, female aspirants will receive the nomination form free of charge, though they will be required to pay for the expression of interest form.
The sale of forms is scheduled to conclude on February 11, 2024.
Ifoh said, “Arising from the meeting of the NWC of the Labour Party under the chairmanship of Julius Abure, the leadership of the party took a far-reaching decision on the Edo election.
“This is with regards to the guidelines for the conduct of congress and primaries to elect candidates for the Edo governorship election.
“They include the NWC’s approval of sale of forms to all interested aspirants from the state who are Nigerians or resident in the state.
“NWC approved that the fees for Expression of Interest shall be N5m while the Nomination form shall be N25m.”
Ifoh additionally mentioned that the National Working Committee (NWC) endorsed the use of an indirect primary election method. This approach involves the conduct of ward and local government congresses to select the party’s candidates.
He further stated that the NWC approved February 14 for aspirant screenings, February 22 for the primary election, and February 23 for addressing any disputes or appeals arising from the primaries.
The spokesperson for the Labour Party expressed gratitude to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for diligently carrying out its verification responsibilities. He also commended the party’s leadership for adhering to INEC’s rules and regulations.
Mr. Ifoh conveyed that the NWC extended a vote of confidence to its National Chairman, Abure, acknowledging his effective leadership and guidance in steering the affairs of the party in the right direction.
“The NWC noted the milestone the party achieved in the recent general elections where it won one governorship, seven Senate, 34 House of Representatives and numerous state House of Assembly seats.
“It regretted that the number depleted after losing some seats through the courts while also hoping to gain more seats in the coming days through rerun elections.’’
Ifoh mentioned that the NWC also affirmed its allegiance to the party’s national leader and its presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, acknowledging his dedication to the party despite the electoral hurdles.