ACN, CPC, ANPP battle INEC over merger’s name

By Our Reporters

LEADERS of political parties driving the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tuesday, talked tough, boasting that neither Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, nor Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, could stop them from using the acronym ‘APC’.

This is against the backdrop of INEC’s confirmation of receiving an application from a political association, African People’s Congress, APC, for registration as a political party to contest the 2015 general elections.

All Progressives Congress, APC, is yet to apply to the electoral umpire for registration.

Promoters of African People’s Congress had, in a letter dated February 28, and signed by Mr. Nwokorie Chinedu of Legal World Chambers, Abuja, applied to INEC “for approval to register African People’s Congress, having carried out a search on the proposed name to the effect that no other political party registered bears same.”

Leaders of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; and All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, have accused PDP of propping up African People’s Congress, to scuttle their merger.

Chinedu said on phone that there was no financial or political attachment between PDP and African People’s Congress, adding “no, there is nothing like that.”

On when the political association was formed, he said “it was formed long ago. I can’t remember. I am not interested in such things.”

Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said yesterday in a telephone interview with Vanguard that INEC received the African People’s Congress application last week and that the process of registering it would follow laid down rules.

Idowu said: “Yes, it is true that a group applied for the registration of the African People’s Congress last week. This does not mean it has been registered because the law stipulates the process of party registration, which they must comply with.

“The APC group that has applied for registration is different from the APC group that has not yet applied.”