As the September 21, 2024 local government election in Imo State approaches, aspirants are resorting to desperate measures to raise funds for their campaigns.
The election, which is expected to be a fiercely contested one, has seen a surge in the number of Chairmanship and Councillorship aspirants.
Investigations reveal that many chairmanship and councillorship aspirants are selling lands and properties to fund their ambitions.
With the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) having the largest number of aspirants, the price of Nomination and Expression of interest forms has not been announced, leaving aspirants in a frenzy.
A chairmanship aspirant from Ngor Okpala, who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that he sold two plots of land with his family’s consent, citing the dwindling value of the naira and the need for significant funds to run a successful campaign.
“I just sold part of our family land to run for this election. With the dwindling value of the naira, one needs so much money for this project,” he said.
Most aspirants believe that winning the APC party primary is crucial to success, and with no challengers from another political party in the contest, winning the party primary is seen as a guaranteed ticket to victory.
This belief has led to a mad dash for funds, with many aspirants selling their assets to raise the necessary funds.
A councillorship aspirant from Ahiazu Mbaise, Mr. Desmond Ugwudi, said he sold a portion of his land to prepare for the polls.
“Being a Councillor now is very expensive, but when you consider the benefits thereafter, it’s worthwhile even selling all you have to win the election,” he said.
The belief that the Federal Government will soon release local government allocation directly to the councils and not the state government has attracted many aspirants to the race.
This belief has further fueled the desire by aspirants to win the election, with many of them willing to go to great lengths to fund their campaigns.
Everest Anyasodor, a political analyst told INNONEWS that aspirants are desperate to raise funds to run their campaigns, with some resorting to selling their assets and borrow from lenders.
According to him, “Others are seeking loans from friends and family, while some are even borrowing from banks”
“Aspirants are going to great lengths to fund their campaigns, with some selling their assets to raise the necessary funds. The election is expected to be capital-intensive, with aspirants believing that significant funds are needed to run a successful campaign”he stated.