The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reviewed upward its governorship nomination fee from N5 million to N20 million, representing an increase of 300 percent.
This comes as the party has released the timetable for the November 16 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.
This was the outcome of the 86th National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting of the party in Abuja on Thursday.
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, revealed that the Expression of Interest fee remains at N1 million even as female aspirants are exempted from the nomination fee.
With the governing APC charging N22 million for both nomination and expression of interest fees, the development means that the party is only N1 million ahead of the main opposition party, which now stands at N21 million.
According to him, while the Sales/Return of Expression of Interest/Nomination Forms would hold from June 24 to July 24, governorship primary elections in both states is billed for September 3.
He attributed the hike to the high cost of printing forms and organising a hitch-free, transparent exercise.
“While we agree that the situation of the economy is not healthy, we must bring to attention that the cost of printing forms, organizing a free, fair and credible primary election has also not come down.
“We will ensure that the primary elections in the two states will be fair and credible,” Ologbodiyan added.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
