All senators and members of the House of Representatives elected on
the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria , ACN, have been given
up till April 30 to pay up their dues to the party or risk sanctions.
A two-paragraphed letter from the National Secretariat of the party in
Abuja to all the lawmakers, lamented the inability of almost all of
them to comply with the payment of their annual dues for 2012 and
early this year.
The letter, which was seen by PREMIUM TIMES, was signed by the
Administrative Secretary of the party, on the directive of its
National Chairman, Bisi Akande.
While each senator elected on the party's platform pays N100,000.00
monthly, each of their counterparts in the lower legislative chamber
pays N70,000,00.
However, most of the lawmakers are yet to update their financial
obligations to the opposition party. The nature of sanctions that
would be meted out to the defaulting legislators was not spelt out in
the letter, dated March 19, 2013.
A source close to one of the lawmakers said that the directive was
given in anticipation that ACN might wind down its operations as a
party next month, if the All Progressives Congress, APC, is eventually
registered.
The party, alongside the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, All
Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and a faction of the All Progressive
Grand Alliance, APGA, announced the plan to merge into APC on February
6, this year.
Following the amendments to the 1999 Constitution and the 2006
Electoral Act in 2011, political parties now source funds privately
for their operations. The sources of funding now include membership
dues, subscription from members, private contributors, especially from
elected officers and fund raising dinners.
Until the amendments, the Federal Government disbursed annual grants
to each political party through the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC.
Report by: Festus Owete
Source: Premium Times Nigeria
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