By Clement John
The Nigeria Democratic Congress has fixed the cost of its presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms at N60 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party also pegged its governorship forms at N30 million as it unveiled its timetable for the sale of forms, screening of aspirants and conduct of primary elections.
According to the timetable released on Tuesday, presidential aspirants are expected to pay N20 million for the Expression of Interest Form and N40 million for the Nomination Form.
Governorship aspirants will pay N10 million for the Expression of Interest Form and N20 million for the Nomination Form.
The timetable and guidelines were contained in a statement jointly signed by the party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, and National Secretary, Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu.
The party said the sale of Expression of Interest Forms for all elective offices would commence on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, and end on May 18.
It stated that aspirants would undergo screening and interviews between May 19 and May 21 before becoming eligible to purchase Nomination Forms.
According to the schedule, the sale of Nomination Forms will run from May 21 to May 23, while completed forms must be returned on or before May 25.
The party added that appeals arising from the screening exercise would be handled on May 25 and 26, while primary elections for various elective positions would hold on May 27 and 28.
The presidential primary election has been fixed for May 29, 2026, in Abuja.
The NDC said aspirants for State Houses of Assembly would be screened in their respective states, while screening for National Assembly and presidential aspirants would take place at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
It also disclosed that governorship primaries would be conducted at the local government level.
Under the approved fee structure, House of Representatives aspirants are to pay N2 million for the Expression of Interest Form and N4 million for the Nomination Form, while Senate aspirants will pay N3 million and N5 million respectively.
State House of Assembly aspirants are expected to pay N1 million for the Expression of Interest Form and N1.5 million for the Nomination Form.
The party announced concessions for women and persons living with disabilities, stating that female aspirants would pay 50 per cent of the approved fees, while persons with disabilities would enjoy a 75 per cent waiver across all categories.
The NDC said it would adopt the “open secret ballot” system during its primaries to ensure credibility, transparency and internal democracy.
The party maintained that its nomination fees remain lower than those charged by some major political parties in the country.
It further assured members and aspirants of a transparent and inclusive process capable of producing credible candidates for the 2027 general elections.
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