The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State has condemned the new fees introduced by the State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) for candidates contesting the November 8 local government elections, describing the move as unconstitutional and aimed at disenfranchising opposition parties.

Addressing journalists in Jalingo on Monday, the APC State Chairman, Barr. Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi, criticized the guidelines which mandate chairmanship aspirants to pay ₦1 million, vice-chairmanship aspirants ₦500,000, female vice-chairmanship aspirants ₦250,000, male councillorship candidates ₦150,000, and female councillorship aspirants ₦75,000. Persons with disabilities, however, were exempted from the fees.

El-Sudi argued that the conditions run contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Supreme Court directives, insisting that TSIEC had no legal authority to impose such financial barriers on candidates.

“We call on Governor Agbu Kefas to prevail on TSIEC to delete these provisions in the guidelines. The Constitution is clear that electoral bodies cannot impose such conditions for candidates to participate in an election,” he said.

He further alleged that the fees were designed to give undue advantage to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming that an arrangement exists where PDP candidates would have the fees deducted from their salaries after winning, while opposition candidates are forced to pay upfront.

“This arrangement is discriminatory and unacceptable. If TSIEC fails to withdraw the fees, APC will challenge the decision in court. This is not a law but a guideline, and it must be reversed,” he insisted.

The APC chairman also raised concerns about the high cost of obtaining tax clearance certificates, another requirement set for aspirants. He described the ₦1 million fee for chairmanship aspirants and ₦500,000 for councillorship aspirants as excessive, given the prevailing economic hardship.

“We are not asking for a free process, but we appeal for a reduction. The current charges are simply unaffordable for many candidates,” he said.

El-Sudi expressed confidence that Governor Kefas would intervene to prevent political disharmony and ensure a fair electoral process in the stat