The Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) is not bound to register
the emergency African Peoples Congress to
spite the opposition parties from merging as
All Progressives Congress (APC), it was
learnt yesterday.

Besides, said a source, INEC has so far
received only a letter of intent from the
emergency group.
The letter of intent was reportedly submitted
at the INEC office without any interaction
with the commission’s officials.

According to a source, the African Peoples
Congress rushed to INEC last week with a
letter of intent to be registered as a party.

The source added: “The African Peoples
Congress submitted only a mere letter of
intent last week without requisite
information. Legally, we are expected to look
into the application within 30 days and,
administratively, we ought to determine the
fate of the group within 90 days.

“So far, we have got the letter of intent
without requisite information, like the list of
representatives of the party, its board of
trustees, the address of its headquarters in
Abuja and the list of its offices in the 36
states of the Federation.

“As I am talking to you, no one in INEC
knows the promoters of the African Peoples
Congress. They have not supplied any
tangible information to show that they are
serious.

“We hope that the group will make these
information available as soon as possible. Or
else, the electoral commission might see the
group as playing to the gallery.”

Asked how the application was received, the
source added: “A lawyer just walked in and
submitted the letter of intent.
“As a commission, we cannot shut our doors
to any group seeking to register as a political
party.”

The source clarified that by virtue of Section
222 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 78
of the Electoral Act, INEC is not bound to
register the emergency African Peoples
Congress.

“Although we are to entertain applications
for registration of parties on the basis of first
come, first served, we are not bound to
register All Peoples Congress, except all
conditions are met as contained in Section
78 of the Electoral Act.

The section reads: “A political association
that complies with the provision of the
constitution and this Act for the purposes of
registration shall be registered as a political
party, provided that such application for
registration as a political party shall be duly
submitted to the Commission not later than
six months before a general election.

“The Commission shall, on receipt of the
documents in fulfillment of the conditions
stipulated by the Constitution, immediately
issue the applicant with a letter of
acknowledgement stating that all the
necessary documents have been submitted
to the Commission.

“If the association has not fulfilled all the
conditions under the section, the
Commission shall within 30 days from the
receipt of its application notify the
association in writing, stating the reasons for
non-registration.

“A political association that meets the
conditions stipulated in the constitution and
this Act shall be registered by the
Commission as a political party within 30
days from the date of receipt of the
application, and if after the 30 days such
association is not registered by the
Commission unless the Commission informs
the association to the contrary, it shall be
deemed to have been registered.

“An association which, through the
submission of false or misleading
information pursuant to the provisions of
this section, procures a certificate of
registration, shall have such certificate
cancelled.

“An application for registration as a political
party shall not be processed, unless there is
evidence of payment of administrative fee as
may be fixed from time to time by the
Commission.

“The Commission shall have power to
deregister political parties on the following
grounds; breach of any of the requirement
for registration and for failure to win a seat
in the National or State Assembly election.”

thenationonlineng.net/new/news/proxy-apc-inec-has-only-letter-of-intent-says-official

A faceless political party! Only in Nigeria.
The desperation of pdp knows no bounds.