BY MUMINI ABDULKAREEM
Several aspirants who have indicated interest to run for the Kwara State local government election now slated for November 18, 2017 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have started pulling out from the race, National Pilot can authoritatively report.
This development is coming on the heels of the 250,000 intent fee to be paid by each APC Chairmanship aspirant and the directive from the leadership of the party in the state for all intending contestants who are still in the civil service to resign their positions.
Some of the aspirants, this medium gathered last night, described the intent fee set by the leadership of the APC in the state, as โoutrageous.โ
Some of the interested contestants have reportedly started last minute attempt to try and raise the money with the hope that they may be compensated if they fail to get the ticket.
With the latest decision of the party, interested chairmanship contestants will subsequently cough out close to N300, 000 while their councillorship counterpart are expected to part with a combine fee of about N75,000.
It was gathered that apart from the N250,000 chairmanship fee, the aspirants will further payย N25,000 to the party in their respective councils and another N10,000 for expression of interest.
The councillorship candidates on their part have been asked to pay N50,000 for the contest, N10,000 to the party at the local government and N10,000 for the expression of interest.
Speaking on the issue last night, a reliable source confirmed that some of the aspirants have been making moves to raise the fund reaching out to their financially buoyant associates to bail them out.
โFollowing the party’s decision to fix the chairmanship and councillorship fees, many of the interested aspirants across the 16 local governments of the state have been pulling out of the race complaining that the fees were not only unrealistic but outrageously exorbitant for council contest.
โOthers who are still hoping to contest at this stage, have started making efforts to raise the money and have been reaching out to their more illustrious colleagues to bail them out.
โEven though the party has encouraged many people to come into the race to give a level playing field, they consider some of the aspirants as jesters who are just making empty noise.
โWith the new development, the party is stylishly streamlining the process to accommodate only serious contestants, which might lead to consensus at the end of the day as some of the local governments have started discussion on harmonising their initially exaggerated list.
โThe party has also directed all those interested in the race to henceforth resign their appointments from their respective employments in abeyance with the provision of the civil service rules,โ the source added.
Meanwhile, feelers last night from Moro local government suggested that the party was preparing a different arrangement for its contestants.
According to unconfirmed report, the aspirants have reportedly been asked to pay N150,000 to the party instead of the N250,000 collected by other local governments for the chairmanship contest.
The rationale behind the decision could not be verified before the paper went to bed but a source who spoke on the issue on condition of anonymity said, โThe reason for such decision will be clearer later but now that is the position of things.
It was however gathered that a caucus meeting of the party at local government level was scheduled for yesterday to try โand come out with generally accepted decision to everybody.
โฆas KWASEIC releases timetable
By Mumini AbdulKareem
The Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC) has released time-table for this yearโs chairmanship and councillorship election scheduled for November 18, 2017.
The commission which had earlier fixed the election date for November 4, announced a shift in the schedule during a press briefing by its Chairman, Dr Uthman AbdulRahman Ajidagba at its state headquarters, Fate Road, Ilorin last Thursday.
Ajidagba said the postponement was in response to the request from stakeholders who will participate in the election adding that some of the programmes before the election especially party primaries coincided with the period when several stakeholders will be in Saudi Arabia for 2017 Hajj operation.
He maintained that the shift was in line with the law guiding the operation of the commission and “KWASIEC decided to change the date of the election in order to allow equity, fairness and balance for all interested parties and electorate to take part in the electionโ.
In the adjusted timetable, commencement of primary was fixed for Saturday September 2, 2017 while last day for withdrawal by candidates was slated for Saturday, November 4, 2017.
Other details in the schedule include:
Meeting/Interface of KWASIEC with representatives of all registered political parties, Friday18th August, 2017
Commencement of Primaries, Saturday 2nd September, 2017
Conclusion of Party Primaries Sat. 16th September, 2017
Collection of personal data form for persons seeking election into the offices of Chairman and councilor (KWSIEC 001) and list of candidatesโ form (KWSIEC 002)
Collection of Nomination forms (KWSIEC 007 and KWSIEC 008) by Political Parties Thursday 14th September, 2017
Last day for Submission of Personal Data form for Persons seeking Election into the Offices of Chairman and Councilor (KWSIEC 001) and list of candidatesโ form (KWSIEC 002)
Tuesday 19th September, 2017
Meeting/Interface with Security Agencies and Representatives of all Registered Political Parties Friday 22nd September, 2017
Last Day for Publication of Personal Data of Candidates at their Respective Constituencies and Wards Tue. 26 th September, 2017
Stakeholdersโ Forum Thursday 28th September, 2017
Screening of Candidates Mon. 9th October
Screening Appeal Thursday 12th October, 2017
Last day for change of Candidates by persons Nominating them (Chairmanship and Councillorship) Monday 16th October, 2017
Sensitisation Lecture Tuesday 17lh October, 2017
Publication of Polls (Chairmanship and Councillorship) (14 days to the Election) Saturday
4th November, 2017
