As the Kano State Local Government elections approach, female aspirants across multiple political parties have voiced their concerns over the steep nomination form fees set by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC).
The commission has pegged the cost at 10 million Naira for Chairmanship positions and 5 million Naira for Councillorship roles, a financial burden that many prospective candidates find difficult to bear.
Speaking with Kano Times, women from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed their frustration and appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and KANSIEC Chairman, Professor Sani Lawan, to reconsider these fees.
Amina Yusuf, a member of the APC in Tarauni Local Government, who aspired to run for Chairmanship, lamented, “The high cost of these forms is preventing many of us from participating in the political process we have long supported.”
Hannatu Abdulkadir Ibrahim of the NNPP, who aimed for a Councillorship seat, reflected on the 2023 elections, stating, “Women voted for Governor Yusuf with the hope that he would support our political ambitions. This fee is a betrayal of that hope.”
Bilkisu Harisu, also vying for a Councillorship position in Kura Local Government, emphasized that the high cost of the forms is particularly prohibitive for ordinary women who wish to serve their communities.
“We need the Governor and KANSIEC to make the process more accessible by lowering the nomination fees,” she urged.
Similarly, Fatima Umar Kwanar Jaba of the PDP, intending to contest the Nasarawa Local Government Chairmanship, highlighted how the fees discourage women from participating in politics.
“This fee structure discourages us from taking part in politics,” she observed.
Hauwa Bello of the NNPP in Rano Local Government, an advocate for women’s political involvement, also called for a reduction in the fees, stating, “These fees are a clear obstacle to women’s engagement in politics. We urge the Governor and KANSIEC to reconsider.”
Adding to the criticism, security expert and human rights activist Bulama Bukarti condemned KANSIEC’s decision to set the nomination fees at such high levels.
Bukarti described the fees as an “exorbitant injustice,” arguing that they effectively bar smaller parties and financially constrained candidates from participating in the elections.
In a statement shared on his verified Facebook page in Hausa, Bukarti pointed out that even major political parties like the APC and the ruling NNPP struggle with these costs. He accused the Kano State government of using public funds to purchase forms for favored candidates, thereby undermining the democratic rights of both candidates and voters.
“It is particularly disheartening that Kano State, under the NNPP—a party that claims to champion change—is engaging in practices reminiscent of those it criticizes,” Bukarti wrote. He also noted that State Electoral Commissions, often aligned with ruling parties, appear to set such fees under government directives.
Bukarti contrasted Kano’s fees with those of other states, noting that Jigawa State under APC has set its fees at 5 million Naira for Chairmanship candidates and 2 million Naira for Councillorship candidates, while Adamawa under PDP has set its fees at 10 million Naira. The discrepancy in Kano’s fees, he argued, raises questions about whether there is any real difference between APC, PDP, and NNPP.
Calling for immediate action, Bukarti urged the Kano Electoral Commission and the state government to reduce the fee to a maximum of 500,000 Naira.
“Failure to do so will expose them as oppressors and dictators, just like the other parties,” he warned, adding that by 2027, “no NNPP candidate will be able to convince the public of their commitment to change, and their political careers may well face retirement.”
