The opposition All Progressives
Congress has expressed confidence that it will meet the registration
requirements set by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Opposition political parties involved in the merger spoke in separate telephone interviews with our correspondents in Abuja on Monday.
Investigations showed that the APC had yet to submit a list of its officers as demanded by INEC.
Political parties involved in the merger include the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change and the All Nigeria Peoples Party.
The commission had, in a letter to the commission, dated June 12, asked the APC to submit copies of its constitution and manifesto as well as lists of its officials and members of its Board of Trustees.
The party has yet to elect its officials. This has created fears that it might not meet the commission’s demand for registration.
The spokesman for the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said, the process of registering a new party was different from that of registering political parties which seek to merge.
Mohammed said, “The two processes are not the same.”
He further explained that the APC was working in line with the provisions of the relevant provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act to ensure registration.
Speaking in a similar vein, spokesman for the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, explained that because the process of merger was a novel one in the country, there were bound to be challenges.
He said, “There is basically no pressure (on APC) as you know. This (registration) is an administrative process as Professor Jega himself has earlier said.
“Already the statutory signatories are there. If they (INEC) see what they consider as show-stoppers, they have the right to point our attention to it.
“All we need to do is to look at it and see how we can address it. That should not be any hindrance at all.”
Fashakin however denied news making the rounds that INEC was demanding a list of elected officials at all levels before registering the APC.
He said, “It cannot be at state level; at Federal level is what they are asking for. You know those in INEC themselves have not gone this way before.
“I am sure they are trying their best with regards to the interpretation of the law; and trying to say ‘yes this is what the law says’.”
On its part, INEC said the APC had not shown any indication that it wouldn’t submit the requirements for registration.
The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said this in response to inquiries by one of our correspondents.
He said, “They (APC) have not said they are not responding, so let’s wait before we foreclose anything.
“It is logical, the law says they should submit the requirements and we reminded them, believing that they forgot; are we not fair?”
Opposition political parties involved in the merger spoke in separate telephone interviews with our correspondents in Abuja on Monday.
Investigations showed that the APC had yet to submit a list of its officers as demanded by INEC.
Political parties involved in the merger include the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change and the All Nigeria Peoples Party.
The commission had, in a letter to the commission, dated June 12, asked the APC to submit copies of its constitution and manifesto as well as lists of its officials and members of its Board of Trustees.
The party has yet to elect its officials. This has created fears that it might not meet the commission’s demand for registration.
The spokesman for the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said, the process of registering a new party was different from that of registering political parties which seek to merge.
Mohammed said, “The two processes are not the same.”
He further explained that the APC was working in line with the provisions of the relevant provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act to ensure registration.
Speaking in a similar vein, spokesman for the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, explained that because the process of merger was a novel one in the country, there were bound to be challenges.
He said, “There is basically no pressure (on APC) as you know. This (registration) is an administrative process as Professor Jega himself has earlier said.
“Already the statutory signatories are there. If they (INEC) see what they consider as show-stoppers, they have the right to point our attention to it.
“All we need to do is to look at it and see how we can address it. That should not be any hindrance at all.”
Fashakin however denied news making the rounds that INEC was demanding a list of elected officials at all levels before registering the APC.
He said, “It cannot be at state level; at Federal level is what they are asking for. You know those in INEC themselves have not gone this way before.
“I am sure they are trying their best with regards to the interpretation of the law; and trying to say ‘yes this is what the law says’.”
On its part, INEC said the APC had not shown any indication that it wouldn’t submit the requirements for registration.
The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said this in response to inquiries by one of our correspondents.
He said, “They (APC) have not said they are not responding, so let’s wait before we foreclose anything.
“It is logical, the law says they should submit the requirements and we reminded them, believing that they forgot; are we not fair?”
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