National Accord Newspaper

CNPP applauds INEC for not registering the APC

Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP has saluted INEC for serving the cause of justice and defending the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

, by rejecting the registration of Africa Peoples’ Congress for irregularities in their application.
Spokesman of CNPP, Osita Okechukwu said “We have always known that African Peoples’ Congress was born out of mischief to sustain the one party state foisted at variance with the Constitution by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
As of the day, 28 February when their lawyer-Legal World Chamber wrote to INEC, the sponsor of the legal team, Ikenga Ugochinyere and his father, M.O. Ikeagwuonu, the Protem Chairman of African Peoples’ Congress were bona-fide members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party.
Okechukwu concluded that “it could have been a paradox for INEC to after deregistration (of) more grounded political parties to go ahead to register mischief makers and opportunists.”
Reports on Monday said INEC had written to the controversial APC rejecting their application for registration because the association failed to meet the constitutional requirements for registration of a political party.
Curiously, even before INEC’s decision was made ‘APC’ got wind of it and protested in a statement. Chief Onyinye Ikeagwuonu, the Protem chairman of the APC in a statement claimed that he had reliable information from INEC that the commission had prepared a letter denying APC registration.
He unveiled the unsigned letter on INEC’s letter-headed paper dated 21st March, 2013, INEC/DPPM&L/APC/490/V.1/76. It was addressed to Ikeagwuonu titled: ‘’Re-Application for Registration as a political party alleged that African Peoples’ Congress breached Section 222 (a) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The INEC letter said, 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.” But ‘APC’ is crying foul, saying he would not fold its arms over this latest development.