Acronym war: Why the APC cannot be compelled to change its name – Rotimi Fashakin

by Chi Ibe

National Publicity Secretary, Congress for Progressive Change, Rotimi Fashakin (Photo: Punch)
National Publicity Secretary, Congress for Progressive Change, Rotimi Fashakin (Photo: Punch)

The All Progressive Congress has refused to consider a name change, new reports say.

Yesterday, YNaija reported on how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may suspend the registration of opposition party, All Progressives Congress, due to an acronym battle with the African Peoples Party but the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has said that no court can stop the INEC from registering the APC.

The National Publicity Secretary of the CPC,  Rotimi Fashakin, spoke to Sunday Punch on Saturday saying it was too late in the day “for anybody to try anything funny with our registration. No court can stop INEC from registering APC.”

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

“We have followed the proper procedure what is left is purely administrative,” he said.

“The African Peoples Congress which was set up in a hurry by the PDP was disqualified by INEC.

“We are not losing sleep because at this point, we cannot be compelled to change name when it is clear that the APC acronym is free for our use. When we get registered, anybody who has issues with, it can go to court.

“The law says if after 30 days we don’t hear from INEC, we are deemed to have been registered.

“We had our various conventions and submitted our documents 27 days ago. All I can tell you now is, no shaking.”

A senior lawyer, Yusuf Ali (SAN) noted that since confusion over the identity of parties contesting an election was one of the factors that could lead to the nullification of the results of an election, the electoral commission would be in order if it advised a prospective party to change its name, The punch reports.

“Two parties cannot bear the same name, just like when you are incorporating a company. INEC cannot register two names that look alike, that will confuse the electorate. INEC will be justified to ask a party to change its name if there are two parties with the same name.

“This is because one of the issues that can lead to the nullification of an election is when parties have the same name leading to confusion among the electorate,” Ali said.

One comment

  1. Update us on this opposition’s trend, more grease to your elbow.

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