A former governor of Oyo state and the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland , Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja has faulted the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the prices they pegged the purchase of nomination and interest forms ahead of the 2023 election, saying that it is a brazen display of arrogance and corruption.
While APC pegs the sale of its presidential and governorship nomination forms at N100m and N50m respectively, PDP pegs the sale of its presidential and governorship forms at N40m and N21m respectively.
The former governor turned father of politics in Ibadan, Oyo state argued that the high cost of nomination forms will further promote corruption among the elected public officeholders in the land.
While addressing journalists amidst crowds of politicians who thronged his Bodija, Ibadan residence shortly after he observed the two Rakah (obligatory Eld-Fitri prayers) which signifies the end of the one month Ramadan fast, Ladoja insisted that the high cost of nomination forms would have a negative effect on the nation’s economy.
He pointed out that the aspirants who spent N100m to purchase the presidential form and those who spent N50m to purchase the gubernatorial form, would be forced to embezzle public funds when they eventually assumed the office.
He maintained that the high cost of nomination forms will further promote corruption among the elected public officeholders, adding that the party is only encouraging candidates to steal after their emergence.
“N100 million nomination form for President and N50 million for governor shows arrogance to the parties.
“For the president, you are asked to come and take a form of N100m to seek a job of N56m, a salary of a governor is about seven million in a year, which means you are going to earn N28m for the four years and you are asked to pay N50m to seek a job of 28m.
“Other parties can also win elections in some states, the arrogance of the two major political parties will go down, other political parties form is not as high as the two major ones.
“They should understand that they are not the masters, people are the masters, they are just stampeding people thinking that the people would vote for them either they like it or not”, he added.
Responding to whether he has any ambitions towards 2023, he said, “What other plans should I have apart from protecting Ibadan land? I was a Governor of Oyo state. I am now the Otun Olubadan. My interest is about Ibadanland and Oyo state,” the former governor said.
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