The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Amalgamated APC Support Groups (AASG) and leaders of the over 3000 support Groups of the AASG have rejected in its entirety the imposition of the sums of One Million Naira election nomination Form fee for those contesting the post of Director-General, and Five Hundred Thousand Naira for the other executive positions of the Organisation.
This was in reaction to the information delivered to the two fractional leaders of the Organisation on Tuesday, the 14th of November, 2023 during a meeting called to reconcile the two of them at the Party’s National Secretariat, Wuse 2, Abuja. The National Organising Secretary (NOS) of the Party, Alhaji Argungu, without mincing words, announced the dissolution of the executives of the Organization; conduct of elections into the various offices of the AASG as well as payment of N1m and N500,000 nomination forms fees for the offices of the DG and the other executives of the body respectively.
The National Organising Secretary who also affirmed that there was only one AASG recognised by the APC as a Party, and that was the one led by Dr. Nasir Ladan instructed that the elections would be restricted to only the registered support groups before the elections and duly published in the 4th and 31st editions of January, 2023 Daily Trust. He finally explained that the Party would come up with time table for the elections and make other relevant arrangements towards successful conduct of the elections.
In his reaction to the Party’s position, the leaders of the various support groups forming the body have condemned in totality the imposition of the election fees on support group leaders who have given their all to see to the victory of the Party, and especially President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the polls despite the terrible situations Nigerians were made to pass through before, during and after the 2023 general elections.
They claimed that a lot of their members were killed, some maimed, majority of them sold their properties to prosecute the elections with the expectation that they would be adequately compensated by ways of consideration for appointment, employment, empowerments, contracts and other remunerations for a job well done after the success must have been achieved. Unfortunately, none of these expectations had been met by any of these support group leaders six months into the administration.
All the group leaders who spoke with 9news Nigeria explained that they had resolved to take their case to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Villa in a most peaceful rally, since they know Mr. President would not do without stopping the Party from charging such insensitive, unrealistic fees for election into non remunerative positions of support group leadership.
