POLITICS
Lawyer Drags INEC to Court over Outrageous Nomination Fees by Political Parties
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Thursday for the hearing of a suit filed by a human rights lawyer, Ejime Okolie, seeking to stop political parties from imposing exorbitant fees for expression of interest and nomination forms for aspirants ahead of 2027 general elections.
Justice Binta Nyako fixed the date following the suit filed by Okolie against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and 19 political parties.
Okolie, suing for himself and on behalf of millions of Nigerian citizens desirous of participating in the electoral process, prayed Justice Nyako to direct INEC to issue binding guidelines that will regulate reasonable maximum thresholds for the fees.
He also sought an order restraining the parties from fixing or enforcing any expression of interest (EOI) or nomination fees for the primaries of 2027 general elections that have the effect of excluding qualified Nigerian citizens from contesting in the polls.
Besides, he sought an order that the reliefs granted herein shall operate prospectively, for the protection of constitutional rights ahead of the elections.
He urged the court to declare that the fixation, imposition and enforcement of exorbitant fees for nomination forms by the parties prior to 2023 general elections, as a condition to contest in the primaries, excluded many qualified Nigerian citizens, including himself, from the contest.
Okolie said the act violated his fundamental rights to freedom of association guaranteed under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He, therefore, urged the court to declare that the imposition of financial barriers which disproportionately exclude ordinary Nigerian citizens from political participation amounts to discrimination contrary to Section 42 of the constitution.
The lawyer, who listed 19 political parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), among others, as 1st to 19th respondents, also joined INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 20th and 21st respondents in the fresh suit.
The case, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/04/2026, was dated and filed Jan. 5.
Giving 11-ground of argument, the lawyer said that the application is brought in the public interest to protect the constitutional rights of Nigerians to political participation.
He said his net income for the year 2025 was less than N2, 400,000.00 (two million, four hundred thousand naira) and that many professionals and youth earn even less.
He said that before the primaries for the 2023 general elections, political parties fixed non-refundable EOI and nomination fees ranging from millions to tens of millions of naira.
Citing instances, Okolie said the APC fixed its presidential form at N100 million, governorship at N50 million, Senate, N20 million; House of Representatives, N10 million, and state’s assembly, N2 million, per aspirant.
He said the PDP fixed its presidential EOI at N5 million and nomination form at N35 million; governorship at N1 million and nomination form, N20 million; Senate at N500,000 and nomination form, N3 million; House of Representatives at 500,000 and nomination form, N2 million, while state’s assembly was at N100,000 and nomination form, N50Q, 000, respectively.
He said other parties like All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and others also had fees ranging in millions of naira for EOI and nomination.
According to him, these fees have no statutory backing from INEC which regulates elections and set campaign finance limits through the Electoral Act, 2022.
The lawyer, who stated that the current national minimum wage is N70,000 per month, submitted that a lot of qualified workers earn less than N1, 000,000 annually.
He argued that Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the constitution prescribe qualifications for elective offices and do not include financial capacity.
He further argued that political parties are created and regulated under Sections 222 to 229 of the constitution and cannot operate outside constitutional limits.
Okolie submitted that INEC is constitutionally and statutorily empowered under the Electoral Act, 2022 to regulate political parties and ensure internal democracy.
He said that unless the court intervenes before the 2027 general elections, the political parties will repeat “the unconstitutional practices witnessed before 2023 elections, by fixing exorbitant fees.”
The lawyer stated that the suit is preventive, not speculative, and seeks judicial protection of constitutional rights.
Although none of the political parties had filed their defence, INEC, in its preliminary objection filed on Jan. 28, urged the court to dismiss the suit.
According to the commission, this honourable court lacks jurisdiction to hear and determine this suit as presently constituted and the same should be dismissed ‘in limine.’
INEC’s lead counsel, Sulayman Ibrahim, SAN, argued that Okolie lacked the locus standi (legal right) to institute the suit.
The lawyer argued that the subject matter of the suit which is regulation of the sale of EOI forms and nomination fees are internal affairs of the political parties and a no-go area for the courts.
But Okolie, while responding to INEC’s argument on points of law, stated that the objection is misconceived, constitutionally narrow and seeks to resurrect doctrines that had been consistently rejected in public interest and fundamental rights litigation.
On whether he lacks locus standi in a fundamental rights enforcement action, the lawyer said INEC’s position is legally obsolete.
According to him, locus standi is deliberately relaxed under the fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009.
He said the provision constitutionally overrides the restrictive approach urged by the commission.
On whether the fixing of exorbitant EOI and nomination fees is an internal affair of political parties, Okolie argued that internal affairs doctrine is not absolute.
According to him, while political parties enjoy internal autonomy, such autonomy ends where constitutional rights begin, citing a previous case by the Supreme Court.
On whether the court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the suit, the lawyer argued that jurisdiction is triggered by the claim, and not the defence.
He described INEC’s objection as technically driven, substantively hollow and inconsistent with modern constitutional jurisprudence, urging the court to dismiss the objection and hear his substantive fundamental rights application on the merit.
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
All is set for the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State to commission its new secretariat on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
The commissioning of the new secretariat became imperative following the sack of the Solomon Agwana-led State Working Committee in April 2025 and the abandonment of the old secretariat along Isaac Boro Expressway, Yenagoa.
The acting chairman of the caretaker committee of PDP in Bayelsa State, Hon Alabh George Turnah, will perform the commissioning of the new secretariat.
The opening of the secretariat is expected to be witnessed by party leaders in the state, including newly elected ward and local government executives of the party, women, and youth groups.
A statement by the acting state secretary of the party, Alfreder Ebibofayei Ato, stated that the commissioning would precede the Bayelsa State Elective Congress.
She also disclosed that the inauguration and swearing in of all elected Ward, Local Government, and the State Executive Committee members would take place after the commissioning of the new state secretariat.
Ato enjoined all members of the party and Bayelsans to troop out to join the leadership of the party in celebrating a new dawn of PDP in Bayelsa state.
A source in the caretaker committee hinted that party stalwarts, including the national leader of the party, Nyesom Wike, the national chairman, Abdulrahman Moahammed, National Secretary, Sameul Anyanwu, and National Vice- Chairman, South- South, Chief Dan Orbih, are not expected in the state because of their involvement in preparations to ensure a befitting National Convention billed for Abuja on 29th and 30th of March.
The party had a peaceful and successful local government congress across the eight local government areas on Saturday, March 7, which produced eight local government chairmen of the party.
The party had held successful ward congresses on March 3 across the 105 wards in the state, demonstrating the acceptability of the party in the state by Bayelsans.
Hon Turnah had, during the conduct of the Ogbia Local Government congress in Ogbia town, declared that the successful conduct of wards and local government congresses across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State is verifiable evidence that the PDP is alive in Bayelsa State.
He had dismissed all fears of the collapse of the party in Bayelsa State, stressing that the party would field credible candidates in the 2027 elections and reclaim Bayelsa State.
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Amid Opposition turmoil, no fewer than nine senators from different political parties formally announced their defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday, further reshaping the political configuration of the Senate.
Those who declared for the party include the lawmaker representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal; his Abia South counterpart, Enyinnaya Abaribe; Binos Yaroe (Adamawa South); Victor Umeh (Anambra Central); Tony Nwoye (Anambra North); Lawal Usman (Kaduna Central); Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South); Austin Akobundu (Abia Central); and Ireti Kingibe (Federal Capital Territory).
Their letters of defection were read on the floor of the Senate during Thursday’s plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Nwoye attributed his decision to internal crises within the Labour Party.
“I wish to tender my resignation amid the ongoing multiple litigations within the Labour Party, which have significantly affected the cohesion and stability of the party.
“Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and regards,” Nwoye’s defection read.
Reacting after reading the letters, Akpabio welcomed the lawmakers to their new political platform but dismissed suggestions that the ruling All Progressives Congress was responsible for the wave of defections.
He said, “Deputy Senate President and Leader of the Senate, I hope you noticed that I have read (defections) from three different political parties now. So, you cannot accuse the ruling party of tampering with its leadership. Here, we have APGA, Labour, SDP, and all of them.
“So, all of them have a problem. They’ve not been able to put their parties together. So, the APC cannot be blamed for this.
“They are all out to ensure that we have what you call a minority status in this chamber, and I am very proud of them.”
The latest defections further underscore the continuing political realignments in the 10th Senate, where lawmakers have repeatedly switched party allegiances amid internal disputes within several opposition parties.
As of Thursday, the APC retains a dominant majority with 87 senators, while the Peoples Democratic Party has dwindled to seven members.
The ADC, boosted by the latest defections, now has seven senators in the chamber.
Other minority parties include the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), each of which has one senator, bringing the total membership of the Senate to 106.
The Labour Party and Social Democratic Party currently have no representation in the upper chamber following the latest defections.
Director of Research of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Dr. Akin Fapohunda, has warned that mega bucks and brute force will determine the eventual winner of next year’s presidential election.
Speaking against the backdrop of concerns regarding the intense competition and the significant influence of financial resources in the upcoming electoral cycle, Dr Fapohunda speculated that what the 31 All Progressives Congress (APC), Governors need to do is to dedicate their four-month Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations to ‘buy’ the election.
He said given the spiralling hunger in the land, all the ruling Party will need to do is give each voter N20,000 and N50,000 instead of the usual N5,000, for them to vote and guarantee winning the election at all costs.
According to him: “We now have 31 Governors who are in one basket; all they need to do is to devote the four-month FAAC allocation to buy whatever is ready to be bought. You can’t beat that. Any money that comes, even if it’s from the devil, people will take it.
“If you vote, don’t collect N5,000, collect N20,000, N50,000; that’s what is going to happen. So, whosoever has might, will win.
“Election is war, everything is fair when you are fighting a war. If APC has the tools to defeat ADC and PDP, they are in a war front. It’s a war, in a do-or-die situation, who wants to die?
“APC wants to live and others must die. Until we change the rules and bring the temperature down to a civilised society, everything is fair.”
Also commenting on Afenifere’s position about restructuring, Fapohunda said the organisation has submitted a demand for restructuring and creation of western Nigeria to the National Assembly, insisting that contrary to insinuations in some circles, restructuring is not a recipe for anarchy.
Dr Fapohunda, who explained that restructuring will be voluntary to all entities, with a referendum prepared by the association to make it open and fair to all, said: “Restructuring is not a recipe for anarchy. In Yoruba land, we have six states, but it might be eight; we are looking at Kogi and Kwara States because they are Yoruba people too. It’s going to be voluntary; it won’t be by force.”
Citing an example with the Yoruba nation, the Afenifere Research Director said: “In Yoruba land, we have 26 entities, Ijebu is Ijebu, Osogbo is Osogbo, Oyo is Oyo, Ibadan is Ibadan, among others”, adding that: “They have different dialects but they are Yoruba people and they are free to be on their own.”
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