The cost of expression of interest and nomination forms has steadily risen since the party’s inception in 2014, with notable increases observed in the presidential and governorship categories.

The cost of APC presidential and governorship forms in 2014, ahead of the 2015 general elections, was N27.5 million and N5 million, respectively. In 2019, it increased to N45 million and N22.5 million. It, however, climbed to N100 million and N50 million in 2023, respectively.

However, party stalwarts have urged the leadership of the ruling APC to make the 2027 contest less expressive, alleging that despite raking in billions of Naira from the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms before the 2023 elections, the party has failed to give an account of how the money was spent.

Former National Vice Chairman, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has expressed apprehensions, urging the APC leadership to reconsider the affordability of the 2027 elections.

He expressed fears that by 2027, the APC might charge N250 million for expression of interest and nomination forms for the presidency and N125 million for the governorship.

According to him, the APC is “progressively losing the little democratic credentials,” which encouraged Nigerians to expect the possibility of a progressive party emerging out of it in 2015.

In response, APC’s national publicity secretary, Felix Morka, dismissed these concerns as speculative, emphasizing the need to await the party’s official decision.

Morka, said, “The issue of cost of forms for next elections is all speculations.”

Morka, in a telephone chat, said, “That N1 was demanded doesn’t mean it will be N2 next time. It may also be that it may be reviewed downward.

“So we must wait until the party decides for us to react. So I am not going to join issues with Lukman on that because whatever he is saying is speculation.”

The ongoing trend of exorbitant fees, attributed to the party’s status and the monetization of Nigerian politics, raises questions about the democratic accessibility of political participation within the APC, according to political sociologist Professor Kari.

“The fee for APC has been the highest because it is the ruling party. The underlying assumption is that anybody who gets APC ticket will likely get elected. It is an assumption that may be true. It may not be true,” he said.