Despite generating over N29 billion during primaries, APC faces cash crunch

The ruling All Progressives Congress is having difficulties footing its bills despite generating billions of naira from the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms during the recently concluded primaries.

A source told Daily Trust that the party has not paid the allowances of members of the committee that conducted the primaries in states just as chairmanship aspirants are yet to get a refund of the N20m they paid for forms as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the national convention of the party.

It was also gathered that the party has not paid the August salary of its workers at the national secretariat.

Theeditorial.ng gathered that the ruling party raked in over N29 billion from the sale of forms during its primaries between April and June.

APC bigwigs across the country had thronged Abuja city and bought forms for the primaries, which were conducted between April and June 2022.

The party had pegged its presidential forms at N100m, governorship, N50m, senatorial, N20m, N10m for House of Representatives and N2m for state house of assembly aspirants

The National Organising Secretary of the party, Sulaiman Argungu, had told newsmen in Abuja that 145 aspirants bought governorship forms, 351 obtained forms to contest senatorial primaries, 1,197 picked forms for the House of Representatives, while 28 presidential aspirants also obtained their forms.

He, however, did not give a breakdown of the number of state houses of assembly aspirants that bought forms.

A source said part of the money generated was set aside for logistics while part of it was used for the hiring of venues mostly hotels for various screening exercises. He said part of it would be used for the 2023 campaigns.

He said, “Well, part of the money went for renting of venues for various exercises,” adding that the money used for printing of forms was equally removed after the exercise.

But some staff of the APC National Secretariat who spoke with Daily Trust in confidence said they did not know how the money was being spent as they were allegedly suffering under the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee.

One of them from the North Central said, “It baffles me. Our welfare is not guaranteed under the current leadership. Despite the money the party raised, we had nothing to take home during Eid-el Fitri. Rather, the leadership of the secretariat wrote to governors to make provisions for the Sallah package. Consequently, the governors gave it a deaf ear pointing to billions generated from the sale of forms. That is the situation.”