According to Ifoh, “Comparatively, the fee charged by the LP is still the lowest among the three major political parties in the contest. Therefore, any person who cannot afford that fee cannot run for the governorship election.”

Ifoh pointed out that one major challenge is financing political parties, and it’s important to understand that the main source of revenue for political parties is the selling of forms.

A lot of issues that may arise as a result of primaries and the election itself which has to do with litigation arising from primaries and election itself as well as other logistics issues make it imperative for the parties to charge that much so that the party can adequately discharge its responsibilities to the party, to the aspirants and the candidate.

“There is also the cost of conducting the various congresses leading to the emergence of the candidate through the congresses in wards to local governments culminating into the party primaries,” the Labour Party chieftain added.

He went on to say that the party’s published guidelines had unquestionably broadened the scope of member engagement. Every member will have a distinct role to play in helping to choose the party’s candidate starting at the ward level.

“It is consequent upon these, that all members of the party from the ward will be nominating two delegates each who will converge in their various local governments to nominate five delegates each that will participate in the primary election scheduled to be held on February 22, 2024, that will produce a candidate for the party,” he stressed.