The Congress for Progressive Change has
said the proposed mega opposition party, All Progressive Congress, will
not change its name.
Besides, it stated that no court can stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from registering the APC.
The National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said this in a telephone interview with newsmen on Saturday.
He said “It’s too late in the day for
anybody to try anything funny with our registration. No court can stop
INEC from registering APC.
“We have followed the proper procedure what is left is purely administrative.
“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.
According to him, the law was clear about the procedure for the registration of political parties.
This, he said, had made the registration
imminent because, “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.”
When contacted, National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Lai Mohammed said, “We will issue a robust statement tomorrow (Sunday).
His counterpart in the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Mr. Emma Eneukwu did not pick his calls.
Meanwhile, two senior lawyers, who spoke
in separate interviews with one of our correspondents, said INEC can
advise the party to change its name.
Mr. 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.
He said, “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.”
Also, Mr, Mike Ahamba (SAN) said INEC can ask the APC to change its name.
“They (INEC) can advise the party (APC) to change name in order to avoid a conflict.
“If I am a member of the APC and if they ask me, I would have advised them to get another name a long time ago,” Ahamba said.
There are indications that the INEC may suspend the registration of the APC.
It was learnt on Friday that the
decision to halt the registration was reached at a meeting involving the
National Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and other top officials of the
commission on Tuesday.
It was gathered that besides putting the
APC’s registration in abeyance, INEC might write the merging parties on
Tuesday, to choose another name.
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They are not ready to contex election they just want to form the party for propagander can two names be on one ballot paper....i think that APC is in e xistence before the merger party submited there own let them continue their propagander thats what they will use to defeat Jonathan in 2015....they dont know time don pass them they are still sleeping...i pity you you
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