Battle for APC: INEC bows to pressure from ‘LAGOS MAFIA’, refuses to register African Peoples Congress
By News Express on 25/03/2013
Views: 3,865
The spirited battle for survival by the African Peoples Congress (APC) today came to end as Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) finally rejected its application for registration.
Although the African Peoples Congress (APC) was the first to approach INEC for registration, the commission after, initial grandstanding, appears to have bowed to pressure from the emergent mega party All Peoples Congress, which claimed that the acronym APC is its intellectual property.
The decision to deny the African Peoples Congress registration was communicated to party leaders today via a letter signed by its Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Kaugama.
The letter addressed to African Peoples Congress protem chairman, Chief Onyinye Ikeagwuonu, was entitled “Re-Application for Registration as a political party.” The letter said as follows:
“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; 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 provisions above.
“Consequently, the commission shall not register the proposed African Peoples Congress (APC) as a political party.”
Reacting to the development, Chief Ikeagwuonu in a statement in Abuja dismissed it as “a rape of our democracy which we in APC would resist with everything we have got.”
He reiterated his party’s claim of March 21 that INEC was about to bow to pressure from a “Lagos mafia” to deny his party registration through “black market transaction.”
The African Peoples Congress protem chairman vowed that his party would challenge the decision in court, disclosing that upwards of 30 lawyers have already undertaken to offer the party free legal services in this regard.
•Photo: INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega.
Source News Express
Posted 26/03/2013 12:25:08 AM
CLASSIFIED ADS
NEMA clears air over alleged killing of 15...

Nigerian student emerges winner in UN Students Conference...

Bleaching can cause cancer, kidney disease: NAFDAC

Forest Guards set to begin operations in Enugu...

2019: Buhari strong enough to run — Presidency...

Saraki urges North-East leaders to make NEDC work...

RIGHTSView: KADUNA’S ANTI-GRAFT WAR

We don’t want Ebola Centre in our area...

Arms Deal: I was given N650m to buy...

CEO’s fate hangs as Uber reviews corporate culture...

Buhari’s approval rating only 57 per cent: Survey...

Court sends 5 Electricity Agency directors to prison...