The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has revealed that the amount he budgeted for buying of his presidential nomination and declaration of interest forms of his party is N50 million.
Recall that he’s a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which has pegged its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at N100 million.
According to Ngige, his supporters will support him financially, now that the amount is above what he budgeted.
The former Governor of Anambra State while speaking on Channels TV said he has no option but to abide by the decision of the party.
He further stated that the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu must have seen certain things before fixing the price of the ticket at ₦100m.
Ngige added that some political appointees don’t contribute to the party again after primaries and this might be the decision of the party to peg its form at at that price.
He said, “Whether I’m happy with that or I’m not happy with that, that is their position; they have done their calculation, they have done their work.
“For Adamu to say N100m, he has seen certain things. And I was a party official in PDP, unfortunately. I was Assistant National Secretary and Zonal Secretary in the South-East. So, I know the workings of the party.
“Let me give you a typical example. After the sale of these forms and candidates emerge, both governors, senators and others; when you tell them to contribute to the party, you won’t see them. That was our experience in the PDP. That was our experience in the ACN (the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria).
“That was our experience in the APC. I can tell you that. And they have done the right thing by saying that the young folks – the young ones – have a 50 per cent discount.
“For somebody like me, I was budgeting N50m – my supporters and I. But when the thing came out and it was N100m, they started calling me.”
Ngige while speaking on other presidential aspirants in the party said, “It will be a tough race but the best man will emerge.”
The Minister when asked who the person would be, he said, “I don’t know. I’m not a soothsayer but I know that the best man would emerge.”
When asked how he would raise the funds to obtain the forms, the minister said, “I have supporters; I have well-wishers, don’t bother about me.”
