Not less than eleven persons have indicated interest in contesting the November 6 governorship election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in Anambra State.
Chief Raphs Okey Nwosu, the National Chairman of the party, made this known yesterday in Awka while briefing reporters.
Nwosu enumerated some of the aspirants as Rev. Chinedu Ifeanejere, Afam Ezenwafor, Godson Okoye and Ejike Onuogu, among others.
He blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the high cost of elections, saying that more polling booths should not be created as planned by the electoral body.
Nwosu noted that creating more booths would cause problems for the government and punish political parties.
Nwosu said: “We have 11 persons jostling for the Anambra governorship ticket on the platform of the ADC.
“The party is on the right track to take over this state after the governorship election on November 6.
“Our aspirants are to pay N10million for nomination forms and N2million for expression of interest forms.
“Anybody below 40 years will pay 50 per cent of the amount, while payment for women is optional.”
The ADC national chairman advised INEC not to create more polling booths, because, according to him, it was a way of killing the country’s democracy.
He said it was another way of punishing parties through provision of additional agents, among other things.
“Not only that it will be an avenue for bloated budget by INEC, which will be a burden on the government.”
Nwosu said that the system was compromised, while the quality of elected persons had reduced.
“The insecurity we have now is as a result of bad leadership. ADC is about love, the reason we have our logo as handshake,” he said.
The former senator representing Anambra South, Dr. Ugochukwu Uba, has received governorship endorsement from one of the biggest Igbo groups, Anambra PDP Renaissance.
Uba, who is seeking the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) governorship ticket for the November 6 poll, is one of the 16 aspirants cleared by the party.
The Renaissance group is led by Dr. Mckizit Ukadike, while Chief Kingsley Odibendi serves as the secretary.
In a statement yesterday in Awka, the group said it had scrutinised the aspirants and found that Uba was the best to become the party’s standard-bearer.
