The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State has set N30 million as the price for nomination forms for local government chairmanship contests, a figure that exceeds the total official earnings of a chairman over a four-year term.
The announcement was made by the APC State Chairman, Stanley Okoro Emegha, after a closed-door meeting with party officials in Abakaliki. The meeting included the state’s 13 Local Government Chairmen and 171 ward executives and was aimed at briefing party leaders on upcoming programmes and coordinating activities across all levels.
The high fee immediately drew attention, especially after Osborn Umahi, son of Minister of Works Dave Umahi, reportedly purchased the form for Ohaozara Local Government Area, attracting supporters to the party secretariat.
Data from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) shows that local government chairmen earn about N3.5 million in salary and N2.7 million in allowances annually, totaling roughly N25.2 million over a full four-year term—less than the cost of the APC nomination form.
The situation has raised concerns about the affordability of political participation and reflects broader criticisms of high-cost politics and corruption in the country, as aspirants are often forced to rely on private wealth or external support to compete for elective positions.
