The Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State, in preparation for the Local Government elections scheduled for September 21, has finalized all necessary payments for nomination forms for its chairmanship and councilorship candidates across the state.
A statement issued on Thursday in Ilorin by Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, provided details of the party’s commitment to meeting the requirements set by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission. To ensure compliance with KWASIEC’s procedures and demonstrate its readiness for the upcoming elections, the PDP has paid a total of approximately N25 million for the nomination forms. This amount covers the forms for 16 Local Government Area chairmanship candidates and 193 councilorship candidates.
The statement revealed that “the payment of N24,900,000 was made to the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, and receipts of payments have been issued to the party’s leadership. They have now proceeded to the KWASIEC office to obtain forms on behalf of all its candidates.”
This move follows KWASIEC’s recent announcement of nomination form fees, which saw a significant increase compared to prior agreements. For the current election cycle, the fees are set at N350,000 for chairmanship positions and N100,000 for councilorship positions, a sharp rise from the previously agreed maximum of N200,000 for chairmanship and N50,000 for councilorship.
In addition to the form fees, the PDP disclosed that each chairmanship candidate is required to pay an additional N350,000 for tax clearance, while councilorship candidates are required to pay N168,000 each.
Despite a court ruling that found KWASIEC’s imposition of these fees to be outside the bounds of the law, the PDP remains resolute in its participation in the local government elections. The party’s statement underscored its determination to use the electoral process as a means to address the current challenges faced by the people of Kwara and to seek a change in governance.
