Over 120 aspirants who stepped down for consensus candidates at the recently held convention of the All Progressives Congress have not been refunded the cost of their forms over one week after they were promised, Sunday PUNCH can report.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, had persuaded the party to embrace consensus, which was the model adopted to fill most of the 78 positions. After imposing Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the national chairman, governors and other top party stakeholders drew a unity list, which was ratified during the convention.
Those whose names did not make the unity list were compelled to step down. According to National Convention Electoral Committee led by Jigawa State Governor, Muhammad Badaru, those vying for 66 offices stepped down for consensus candidates while elections were conducted for 12 offices.
The President had said those affected by the consensus arrangement should be refunded the money they spent to obtain expression of interest and nomination forms.
Sources in the party however said the total sum being owed the aspirants was not less than N400m.
A party chieftain said, “The new executive members would need time to compile the full list. Also, not everyone paid the same amount. Remember that women and persons with disabilities were given a discount of 50 per cent. Also, some people did not purchase forms by themselves. Some purchased it by proxy and some used groups. In such a situation who will you pay the refund to?”
An aspirant to the office of the national chairman, Chief Sunny Moniedafe, told Sunday PUNCH that he had approached the party for his N10m but he was asked to be patient.
Moniedafe added, “They have not refunded my N10m. I visited the party secretariat last week to deliver my letter of intention to step down which was accepted. I wrote another letter for my refund which also included my bank account but the letter was not accepted.
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