The Ondo State All Progressives Congress, APC, has announced that members who are interested in contesting for the governorship of the state on the party’s platform are to pay N2 million development levy each.

Isaac Kekemeke, Ondo state chairman of the APC, made the announcement in Akure on Monday, saying the levy had been agreed upon by the aspirants and members of the state executive committee.

But sources say the party was using the new levy to reduce the number of aspirants which currently stands at about 50.

A party member said many of the aspirants do not really have any serious ambition, but rather intend to use their aspirations to negotiate, adding that the N2 million levy was aside from the amount that aspirants were required to pay for nomination forms that will enable them participate in the primaries.

Female aspirants, however, were to pay one million naira.

According to the rules for the primary as announced by the state party chairman, aspirants were also required to sign an undertaken to abide by the outcome of the primary and to work for the victory of the party in the election proper.

The party also advised aspirants against employing the use of thugs and violence while trying to convince delegates to support them, warning that any aspirant that engages in any untoward behavior would be held responsible.

Kekemeke maintained that there is no zoning arrangement and only delegates would chose who eventually becomes the party’s standard bearer at the governorship election which has been scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to hold in November this year.