By Kasie Abone
The African Action Congress (AAC) in Anambra State has rejected the N5 million administrative fee announced for chairmanship candidates by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), describing it as an attempt to commercialise the forthcoming local government elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Awka, the party’s governorship candidate in the November election, Chioma Ifemeludike, said the fee effectively turns the contest for leadership of the state’s 21 local government areas into an affair reserved for the wealthy.
She described the charge as “astronomical,” accusing the electoral body of placing grassroots governance “up for auction to the highest bidder.”
According to her, local government administration is meant to serve as the tier of government closest to the people and a platform for nurturing future leaders through community-driven service.
“By demanding N5 million from chairmanship candidates and N1 million from councillorship candidates, ANSIEC has created a barrier that shuts out youths, workers and ordinary citizens from participating in the political process,” Ifemeludike said.
She warned that such financial demands could encourage corruption among those who eventually win elections.
“When a candidate is forced to pay millions just to get on the ballot, the temptation will be to recover that money from public funds after assuming office. This policy is effectively planting the seeds of corruption even before the first vote is cast,” she added.
The AAC stalwart argued that the policy undermines merit and competence in governance, insisting that leadership positions should be determined by integrity, capacity and public service record rather than financial strength.
She further accused ANSIEC, headed by its chairperson, Genevieve Osakwe, of acting like a revenue-generating agency rather than an impartial electoral umpire.
“You cannot claim to run a democracy while placing a ‘billionaire-only’ sign at the entrance of governance. This is a slap in the face of hardworking citizens of Anambra,” she said.
The party therefore demanded the immediate reversal of the fees, describing them as “predatory levies” capable of undermining democratic participation. It also called on civil society groups, labour unions and youth organisations in the state to resist what it described as attempts to restrict grassroots governance to political elites.
The AAC maintained that nomination fees for local government elections should be minimal to enable broad participation across social classes and ensure a level playing field for political parties.
Meanwhile, the party, in collaboration with the AG Foundations, also unveiled an Anambra State Secondary School Tour themed “Train Up a Child.”
Ifemeludike said the initiative is designed to engage secondary school students across the state in conversations on leadership, character development, civic responsibility, academic excellence and nation-building.
“The programme seeks to inspire young people to embrace discipline, integrity and social consciousness as foundational values for personal and societal growth,” she said.
She explained that the theme reflects the party’s commitment to early mentorship and the deliberate nurturing of future leaders who will contribute positively to their communities and Nigeria at large.
