Outrage over exorbitant nomination fees for Kwara NUJ elections

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kwara State Council 2024 Credentials Screening Committee has sparked outrage following the announcement of nomination fees for the upcoming council elections.

SolaceBase reports that the committee members were criticised by various chapel members, who demanded an immediate reconsideration of nomination fees released on June 23, 2024.

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The committee set a non-refundable fee of ₦200,000 for the positions of Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.

While the Vice-Chairman, Assistant Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Auditor forms go for ₦150,000. These fees have been widely condemned as exorbitant and unaffordable for many potential candidates.

Members argued that these fees are comparable to those for national offices and even exceed the ₦100,000 nomination fee for local government chairmanships in Kwara State.

This has fueled resentment, with many seeing the high costs as an obstacle to democratic participation within the union.

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In response to the backlash, the State Executive Council (SEC) of the NUJ Kwara Council has appealed to the national secretariat for intervention.

They have requested that the fees be reduced to ₦50,000 for the Chairmanship and proportionately lower amounts for other positions.

The SEC emphasised that the current economic situation in Nigeria makes such high fees impractical and unjust for NUJ members wishing to engage in the electoral process.

They argued that these fees present a significant financial barrier, effectively restricting candidacy to those with sufficient funds, and thus undermining the democratic principles and equal opportunities that the NUJ stands for.