Ebonyi State chapter of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has threatened to boycott the forthcoming local council election in the state over alleged exorbitant fees placed on the nomination forms by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).

The state Chairman of the party, Mr. El-Stevenson Okorouka, stated this while addressing the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party in Abakaliki, the state capital. He stressed that APGA would not participate in the elections if the amounts are not reduced.

The SIEC had earlier informed political parties that nomination form for chairmanship would cost each candidate N1 million, while councillorship forms would cost N200, 000 each.

The APGA chairman described it as an attempt to abort democracy, uproot fair play and discard level playing ground in the process. He, therefore, asked EBSIEC to reduce the fees so that all parties can participate in the process, declaring that APGA would take EBSIEC to court if it fails to do so.
 
“We’ll take EBSIEC to court if they fail to allow other parties participate in the upcoming local council chairmanship and councillorship election by refusing to slash the nomination fee,” Okorouka said.

IN another development, APGA said it has fixed today, July 12, for the conduct of another round of primary elections to replace candidates who left the party ahead of primaries for the 2023 general polls.

Okorouka told newsmen on Sunday in Abakaliki that candidates would be vying for seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives, among other positions.

“The elections will hold at the various secretariats of the party in the state.

“ We have asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the exercise,” he said. Okorouka urged members to be steadfast and uphold party principles and ideology.

“We intend to replicate the Anambra experience in Ebonyi, having chosen a formidable candidate for the 2023 governorship race,” he said.