By Christian Ogbonna
The All Progressives Grand Alliance Party, (APGA), says its nomination fees has been cut for women and youths by 50 per cent, to enable them to contest in any position, come 2023 general elections.
The Ebonyi Chairman of APGA, Mr Ricky Okorouka, said this in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area on Wednesday during the party’s meeting with the ward chairmen in the area.
Okorouka said the meeting was to welcome new members who had decamped from other political parties.
He said that so far, the party had received over 90, 000 new members, and reiterated the party’s readiness to take over power from the ruling party in the state.
Among those received was a female aspirant for Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mrs Amaka Engene, founder of a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), “Amaka’s Foundation.”
Engene donated four motorcycles and some cash to APGA’s ward chairmen in the area.
On nomination fees reduction for women and youths, the chairman said that the cut was also in favour of persons with disabilities.
“Yes, our party is gender sensitive. We have already given 50 per cent discount of our nomination form and expression of interest for women, youth as well as people with disability.
“The reduction is made from the national and this is the way we encourage women and we have been receiving new members from the 171 wards of Ebonyi’’, he added.
In her remark, Engene said her move to join politics was to liberate women of the grassroots in the area.
“Yes, i donated the motorcycles to encourage members of the party, the ward chairmen, especially during the campaign. I have promised to give out 12 more motorcycles to youth leaders, women and Secretaries.
“They are to use the motorcycles to preach the gospel of peace and to reconnect people to the most progressive party (APGA) around the Eastern part of the country,” she stated.
Engene decried the way women had lost interest in politics and urged them to be courageous.
“I urge the women out there to be courageous; they should stop seeing politics as game of men. We can do it and do it much better in politics,” she advised.
Earlier, Mr Ene-Odii Ogbonna, APGA’s Youth Leader in Ebonyi, commended all the newly received members and noted that the party was on the move to take over government house come 2023.
Ogbonna tasked the youth on peaceful campaigns and reiterated the party’s readiness to support candidates with capacity without selfishness interest. (NAN)