By Aderogba George
Concerned aspirants of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) in Imo have called for greater clarity and transparency in the conduct of the party’s expression of interest form sales and the recent screening exercise for the Imo State House of Assembly elections.
In a joint statement signed by Onyema Ikechukwu, Emeka Ezeh, Chibuike Mbanu, and Marcel Ezenwa on Monday, the aspirants said they participated in the process and observed some concerns regarding aspects of the exercise.
They noted that while the official price of the expression of interest form was set at N1 million, there were perceptions among some participants about possible variations in payments during the process.
The aspirants also stated that they had informed the party’s national leadership of their observations, adding that a screening committee was subsequently deployed from Abuja to oversee the exercise.
According to them, participants at the screening expressed mixed views on the criteria used. Some felt that greater emphasis was placed on financial capacity.
Others, however, believed that party structures, grassroots engagement, and loyalty should also play a key role in candidate selection.
The group called for continued improvement in internal party processes to ensure fairness, consistency, and confidence among members as preparations continue ahead of the elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NDC has fixed the official cost of its Expression of Interest form for State House of Assembly aspirants at N1 million.
The nomination form for the same position is priced at N1.5 million, bringing the total cost to N2.5 million, according to available party fee structures.
The NDC is yet to respond officially to the concerns raised at the time of filing this report. (NAN)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
