AHEAD of the October 2013 council polls in Kwara State, the new All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against the imposition of a non-refundable fee of N250, 000 and N50, 000 on candidates seeking election as chairmen and councilors, by the state Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC).

The party described such provisions in KWSIEC guidelines for the conduct of the council poll as not only exorbitant, but also discriminatory. It will be recalled that the commission recently fixed Saturday October 26, for the conduct of council elections in the state.

In a letter addressed to KWSIEC and the state Commissioner for Justice, and signed by the state Chair, Caretaker Committee of the former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Comrade Sola Iji, considered the said provisions "of Articles 12, 13, 14 of the guidelines as unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.”

He said: "It is our humble submission that it is the law that nomination fees are unconstitutional and therefore illegal same also not having been charged by the Independent National Electoral Commission in any of its elections in strict compliance with the pronouncements of competent and superior courts of record or same.

"We further submit that the 2013 local government elections have been adequately provided for in the state 2013 appropriation bill with about N400 million and N97 million appropriated for both the capital and recurrent expenditures of the commission respectively"