Acronym war: APC may be forced to change name, CPC reacts

by Rachel Ogbu

APC-VS-APC

The Independent National Electoral Commission may suspend the registration of opposition party, All Progressives Congress, new reports say.

The reason remains the controversy surrounding the acronym, APC with separate suits filed by the African Peoples Party and the All Progressive Congress of Nigeria at a Federal High Court, Abuja.

Sources claim that news emerged on Friday July 26 after a meeting on Tuesday involving the National Chairman, Attahiru Jega and other top officials of the commission which might see the INEC asking the merging parties to choose another name.

[READ: Not yet Uhuru: APC faces fresh challenges over chosen acronym ]

The merging opposition parties include the Congress for Progressive Change, Action Congress of Nigeria and the All Nigeria Peoples Party who had written the commission on June 5, 2013, on their plan to merge under a new name, APC but did not submit all the requirements till July 1.

A top official of the commission, who spoke in confidence with Saturday PUNCH, said, “We have put their (merging parties) registration on hold. A letter will be written to them on Tuesday asking them to choose another name.

“You are aware that some parties have been fighting over the acronym (APC) and in actual fact, two of them have gone to court to compel INEC not to register opposition parties’ APC.

“Although the court has not issued any order, we do not want any problem. That is why we agreed on Tuesday that we should ask the opposition parties to choose a new name.”

In a swift reaction, the CPC has voiced their own opinion saying suspending the APC registration would be a dangerous thing for INEC to do.

Spokesman of the CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, reportedly warned INEC against suspending registration of the APC.

According to Punch news, Fashakin, in a telephone said that such a decision would put INEC in bad light.

“It is too late in the day for INEC to attempt to do a thing like that. It will definitely put INEC in bad light. It is too expensive for this leadership of INEC to try to do,” he said.

“It  is a dangerous trend because it will make us to believe that this leadership of INEC is not capable of conducting free and fair elections come 2015.”

“Does that mean that anything that will affect the PDP’s interest, INEC is not ready to do justice to it. We are going into elections. Does that mean INEC will short-change Nigerians again like it did in 2011?”

 

Comments (5)

  1. If there is someone that satan should visit or punish is the INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega. This man will receive billions of naira in the name of conducting elections, but in the one party, PDP will sweep the polls, aided abated by him, Jega. If he has his way, he could have stopped the registration other parties because he sees them as coming to oppose PDP; hence ‘oppositions’! My argument is: ‘if the ruling party is government and the ruling party is PDP, then PDP is government. Again, if INEC is an agent of government and PDP is government, then INEC is government and works for PDP. How would other parties challenge the Almighty PDP and win?

  2. Name is noting in politice,which ever name apc will come out with ,we the masses will vote for them,we are tired of people decieve people,PDP will go 2015, buhari for president,chris ingige vice president and fashola for senate president, with this nigeria will be the best country in africa,

    1. D so called leaders of APC, where are they from? D last time I checked, Buhari was never a lover of democracy neither was Tinubu an achiever as governor for 8yrs. They’re not d angels do profess to be and we’re more enlightened to be so cynically acquiesed. I’m just laughing at their self-deceit…

  3. I support INEC, 2avoid problem d so called islamist opposition party APC shuld change dia acronyme as well presidential candidate and ensure Christians r fully part of it leadership else dis wil mark d beginin of dia failure. Woooo 2dem.

    1. Guy u be man or woman stop this religious discriminatio,hw many time have u ever see our leaders seeing their muslim or christian,poor men fight and die saying they are christian or muslim

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