2023: Olabode George warns Lagos PDP aspirants against paying illegal dues

Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has expressed surprise at the demand being made by the Lagos State Working Committee for payment of administrative fees from aspirants to various offices in the 2023 General Elections, in the state, warning aspirants to ignore the directives as, according to him, such payment was unknown to the PDP constitution and, therefore, illegal.

The Lagos State Working Committee had in a memo dated 19th of April 2022, and signed by the party’s spokesperson, Hon. Hakeem Amode, a copy of which was to send to all aspirants, states that the State Assembly aspirants should pay an administrative fee of N50,000 to the state Financial Secretary.

It also directed that the sum of N200,000; N350,000 and N500,000 should be paid by Federal House of Representatives aspirants, Senatorial aspirants and governorship aspirants respectfully as administrative fees.

George, in a release he personally issued, while urging aspirants to be vigilant and ignore such directives, also urged the national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu to call the Exco of Lagos PDP to order by stopping them from imposing what he described as unnecessary fees.

According to George, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of PDP, the affected aspirants had already paid the money for forms of intent and nomination forms for their desired positions at the party headquarters, saying they should not be made to pay any administrative charge any more.

This was just as he said that all the states’ chapters would get a certain percentage of the money already paid to the national body of the party, insisting that there was no need to further charge the aspirants any fees.

Speaking further, the party chieftain said should the Lagos State Working Committee embark on any extortion or illegal collection of money from the aspirants, he would not hesitate to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“I hereby warned all our aspirants to be vigilant and not to pay any illegal fees. The act of extortion being embarked upon by the Lagos Exco should be shunned and ignored.

“I equally warned the Exco not to extort our party members. They are to pay only fees that are legal,” George said.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…Olabode George warns Lagos  Olabode George warns Lagos

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…Olabode George warns Lagos  Olabode George warns Lagos