The former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja has said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is encouraging corruption due to the high cost of its expression of interest and nomination form fees.
Ladoja made this known on Monday while addressing journalists shortly after he observed the two Rakah obligatory Eld-Fitri prayers which signifies the end of the one month Ramadan fast.
Kokomansion recalls that the APC had pegged its presidential nomination forms at N100 million.
But Ladoja while addressing journalists at his Bodija Ibadan residence, insisted that the high cost of nomination form would have a negative effect on the nation’s economy.
Ladoja said 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. He added that the party is only encouraging candidates to steal after their emergence.
Ladoja said, “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.
“If 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 once.
“They should understand that they are not the masters, peoples are the masters, they are just stampeding people thinking that the people would vote for them either they like it or not.
“What other plans should I have apart from protecting Ibadan land? I was a Governor of Oyo State. I am now the Osi Olubadan. My interest is about Ibadanland and Oyo State.”
