One of the aspirants of the Labour Party (LP) in the Edo State governorship election, Prince Egbe Omorodion, on behalf of three others, has called on the party to review the N30 million pegged for forms that will enable them to take part in February primaries.
Omorodion also said that others felt the same way but none had contacted him, adding that there would be a meeting on Monday to harmonise their position and make it known to the party.
He said they were not compelling the party to bring down the price of the form, but they were appealing to the party leadership so that people with good intentions were not excluded from the process due to the price of the form.
He said he was struggling to strike a balance between his conscience and the price of the form, lamenting it could silence their swatters who want to be heard through the ballot.
He said, “I can tell you that four of us calling on the party to bring down the price of the forms. We are going to have a meeting on Monday to harmonise our position and make our feelings known to the party hierarchy.
“We feel that the price of the form signifies the monetizing of politics which is not what we want in the polity. Forms were sold for N15 million each for the Imo State election. Why is it different in Edo?
“We are not compelling the party to review the price but appealing to them so that more people can take part in the process. We represent real change and if we are shut out, the people we represent will not have a voice.
Omorodion, who is the Chairman of the LP in the United Kingdom, said the sale of the form should not be used as a tool to generate funds for the party as people might become disgruntled if they feel exempted by the cost of the form.
He also said the party had not lost steam after Peter Obi lost the presidential election but noted that, “we have not had the candidate to shake the base.”
