Don’t register APC, rival APC warns INEC

Chekwas Okorie, Olisa Metuh Lai Mohammed,and Shettima Yerima

24 hours to legal deadline for its registration, the African Progressive Congress, a phantom APC, has again warned the Independent National Electoral Commission not to register the All Progressives Congress as the legal consequences can create electoral anarchy if eventually the association won its case against the commission.

Reacting to reports and threats of violence by the rival APC, the National Legal Adviser of the African Progressive Congress, Barrister Nnadi Kinglesy stated that the association‘s case against INEC is very strong and that ongoing legal hearing is already confirming the merit of the substantive suit against the commission.

“We are contesting INEC‘s refusal to register us even when we fulfill the requirements of the law. The ground INEC relied on to stop our registration is so weak because we gave addresses of our national officers as demanded by the law. We took them to court within the stipulated date.
“The other APC has been trying to stop the court from hearing our case but they have failed as the court has ruled in our favour’s we are about to commence the real hearing. If they are convinced we don’t have good case, why is the rival APC running around to stop the hearing of the substantive suit,” the legal adviser said.
He advised INEC to obey the rule of law which stipulates that a subjudiced matter should not be tampered with until the court has finally determine the matter before it, adding “we are calling on INEC to listen to wise counsel and not allow itself to be stampeded into committing an error that may spell doom for the electoral process.
“If the report is real and not mere propaganda, we urge INEC to stick to its advice for the other APC to look for another name. We got to INEC before them and we fulfilled the requirements. If INEC registered them and by 2014, the court ruled in our favour, can you imagine the crisis the nation will have at hand ?” he asked.
It is recalled that two court cases are ongoing on the acronym. The cases were filed separately by two political associations, the African Progressive Congress and the All African Progressive Congress of Nigeria.

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