Politics
N100m Form: APC Promoting Corruption, Group Tells Buhari
A youth group, Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly, has crticised President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for pegging its presidential nomination form at N100 million, saying such was intended at promoting corruption.
The group said it wondered how someone applying for a job with a remuneration of N56 million for four years will be expected to apply for the job with N100m if the president and his party were not planning to steal from the country.
In a press statement signed by leaders of the various zones of the group, including its President-General, Goodluck Ibem, on Monday, it said the reasoning behind the high cost of the party’s presidential form was beyond human comprehension.
It said, “We are alarmed over the outrageous cost of the APC nomination and expression of interest forms of N100 million for Presidential, N50 million for governorship, N20m for Senatorial and N10m for federal house of representatives.
“The approval of these outrageous fees for mere nomination and expression of interest forms of a party in power confirms the party as a cesspool of corruption.”
The group knocked President Buhari, saying in 2014, he criticised the party for fixing the fee at N27.5 million for the presidential forms ahead of the 2015 general elections, but under him, his party is demanding N100m and he is keeping quiet.
Analysing the salaries of the president, COSMBYLA said, “The annual salary of the president of Nigeria is N14,058,820.00k. In four years, it would be N56,235,280.00k. How will someone apply for a job with N100m, other campaign expenses exclusive just to earn N56,235,280.00k.
It said, “President Buhari is an employee of Nigerians and he is answerable to Nigerians who elected him into power in 2015 and 2019. As youth leaders of this country who have the interest of our nation Nigeria at heart, We demand to know how someone whose salary will amount to N56,235,280 in four years will be applying for the same job with a whopping sum of N100m.”
The group reasoned that if an APC presidential aspirant brought out N100 million to purchase his party’s presidential forms, spent all the monies needed to campaign round the country and settle political party heavy weights, the winner could not but steal from Nigerians to recoup their expenses when sworn-in.
“President Buhari has confirmed to Nigerians that all this time he contested for the office of the President, he was not contesting to be President so that he can build Nigeria, but rather he was contesting so that he can destroy what is left of the country.
“How can one explain that when President Buhari came into office, one dollar was exchanged for N160 and now under his watch the same one dollar is N580. Foreign investors were coming in to invest into our economy but today all of the investors have left because of insecurity.
“President Buhari has failed Nigerians and we cannot pretend about it. Nigerians are tired of this administration, we are waiting for the President’s resignation,” it added.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
