The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State has threatened to take legal action against the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) over the imposition of what it considers unconstitutional and exorbitant nomination fees for the upcoming local government elections.
At a press conference in Jalingo, APC State Chairman Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi criticized TSIEC’s fee structure, asserting that it is designed to suppress opposition parties and restrict participation in the electoral process. According to TSIEC’s guidelines, chairmanship aspirants must pay a non-refundable fee of N1 million, while vice chairmanship aspirants are required to pay N500,000. Female chairmanship and vice chairmanship candidates are expected to pay N250,000, and for councillorship seats, male candidates must pay N150,000 and female candidates N75,000.
El-Sudi argued that these charges are unconstitutional and violate democratic principles, as the constitution does not mandate any fees to be paid to the electoral commission. He claimed that this is a ploy to frustrate political parties, especially during a time of economic hardship. The APC chairman called on TSIEC to immediately withdraw the fees from its election guidelines, stating that the financial demands place undue burdens on aspirants and hinder inclusive democratic participation.
Additionally, El-Sudi criticized the Taraba State Board of Internal Revenue for imposing tax clearance fees of N1 million for chairmanship aspirants and N500,000 for those contesting councillorship positions, describing these figures as excessive and unreasonable. He called for an urgent downward review to ensure fairness.
Despite these grievances, the APC has successfully conducted its primaries across all sixteen councils in the state and is prepared to contest the elections scheduled for November. The party reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring credible, free, and fair local government elections. However, El-Sudi warned that failure by the electoral body to address these concerns could lead to legal consequences, emphasizing the need for a fair and inclusive electoral process.