The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has denied the controversial African People’s Congress, APC, registration. This is on the account of irregularities in the addresses of its national officers which is one of the requirements of the electoral body for registering parties.
There have been controversies over the authentic owner of the acronym “APC” with two other groups laying claim to it. The opposition parties have floated the All Progressive Congress, APC, while the All Patriotic Citizens, APC, surfaced in the midst of the crisis. The commission stated its position in a letter, which is in possession of National Mirror, written by the INEC’s Secretary, Abdullahi A. Kaugama, with reference number INEC/DPPM&L/ APC/490/V.1/76 and addressed to the Chairman of the proposed African People’s Congress. The letter dated March 21, 2013 and received by the APC yesterday titled ‘Re-application for Registration as a political party’ states: “Your application for registration as a political party dated 28th February, 2013 refers.
“The Commission has observed that
your association is in breach of section 222 (a) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which stipulates as follows: “No association by whatever name called shall function as a political party unless (a) the names and addresses of its national officers are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission. “A close observation of your submitted form PA 1 established that it does not contain the addresses of your national officers as stipulated in the provision above. “Consequently, the commission shall not register the proposed African People’s Congress as a political party.”
But in a swift reaction, the acting National Chairman of the association, Chief Onyinye Ikeagwuonu, said if INEC goes ahead to deny APC the registration, it will amount to a rape of democracy. He vowed that such move will be resisted. At a press conference in its Abuja headquarters yesterday, the acting chairman said that INEC documents did state residential address or phone numbers, a requirement it has complied with. He also said the party has briefed its lawyers in anticipation of such action from INEC “to put in motion processes to legally challenge this antidemocratic plot even up to the Supreme Court.
“It will be recalled that diverse efforts had been deployed to thwart our registration but had all come to nothing. They had earlier alleged that our documents were fake; they had earlier alleged that no payment had been made by the party for the administrative and processing fee. All these allegations have been emptied,” he said.
Meanwhile, the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, has said that the opposition coalition has not received any formal communication from INEC on the issue of clash of acronym on the newly floated All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who addressed journalists shortly after the meeting of the board yesterday in Abuja, said the matter is for INEC to decide and that so far, the commission has not informed the merging parties officially concerning the emergence of another rival group claiming the acronym, APC. “INEC has not informed us as a political party on what is its decision. It is when we submit our own registration request then we hear from the commission.
As at now, there is no official communication between us and INEC on the issue,” he said. On whether ANPP is satisfied with the progress made so far on the merger process, the former governor of Borno State said since the process is still ongoing it will be too early to make assessment on it now. Sheriff said the BoT resolved to still support the merger talks between it and other members of the opposition coalition which are the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, and a splinter group from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
“The party has decided that their merger committee should continue with discussions for the merger of opposition parties. We have agreed that the talks should go on till the consummation of the merger. We are not going back on the merger. The talks must continue,” he said. Those who attended the BoT meeting included the ANPP National Chairman, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Governors of Borno and Yobe states, the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Tijani Tumsa, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Senator Ahmed Yerima and Secretary of ANPP’s merger committee, Chief George Muoghalu.
Meanwhile, the ACN has disagreed with INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on the registration crisis trailing the APC. The merger committee chairman, Chief Tom Ikimi, yesterday said that the electoral commission was wrong to have said that the merging parties only wrote to inform the commission of their new party four days ago.
Reacting to a statement credited to the INEC boss during a radio interview in Kaduna where he was quoted as having asked the merging parties to look for another name for their merger party, Ikimi who spoke to National Mirror on the telephone said the opposition coalition had informed the Commission of the new party immediately it was floated on February 6. He said ever since then the merging parties have followed up by writing to the commission to inform of their plans to dissolve into one platform.
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