A third group sharing the acronym APC has filed a letter of intent to be registered as a political party with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The name it seeks is All Patriotic Citizens (APC). On Monday, the African Peoples Congress (APC) filed a letter of intent INEC.

The development has further worsened the troubles of the merging opposition political parties to be known as the All Progressives Congress (APC). The opposition parties are yet to file any letters of intent for its new party to be registered with the INEC.

But the opposition parties are crying blue murder, vowing never to let go their name and acronym, since they were the first to announce to Nigerians and the whole world the name of their new party-to-be. They said the name and acronym remain their intellectual property.

The parties alleged that they have it on good authority that the establishment has set up a high-powered team headed by a ranking officer of government and furnished with unlimited resources from public funds with a clear mandate to corrupt the democratic institutions and destabilise the opposition.

The opposition further warned that over and above the collective correspondence the merging parties sent to INEC, each of them has communicated to INEC the assurance that the processes stipulated in the Electoral Act are accordingly ongoing towards the consummation of the merger.

INEC will not register political parties with the same acronym going by the Electoral Act. Against this backdrop, it is viewed by observers that the scheming is geared towards scuttling the opposition parties.

The African Peoples Congress went ahead to unveil their logo, flags and party headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

‘APC is our intellectual property’
The merging opposition political parties yesterday in Abuja declared that the acronym of their platform, All Progressives Congress (APC), is and remains their intellectual property.

They vowed to pursue the process of its registration to its logical conclusion in the interest of “dear fatherland”.

Addressing a press conference, chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chief Tom Ikimi, flanked by Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, Senator Annie Okonkwo and Alhaji Garba Gadi representing other parties in the merger, said the name and acronym “APC” have become the intellectual property of the merging parties since February 6, 2013, as they have received wide publicity in the print and electronic media.

Ikimi warned that the feeble attempt by any other entity to pretend to use the same acronym is an exercise in futility, because it amounts to what, in law, is called “passing off”.

He said the group had, for several weeks now, put the country and indeed the whole world on notice about the decision of three registered political parties, namely, the ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to merge into one formidable party for the purpose, among others, of accentuating political competitiveness, providing a viable alternative political platform and promoting the much-desired political change in the governance of the country.

According to Ikimi, all legal and constitutional processes required to formalise the merger and register the new party with INEC in the name of All Progressive Congress (APC) are already in progress, in top gear and includes its earlier announcement on February 6, 2013, of the decision of the three parties to merge.

He said: “Prior to the adoption of the name, we had carried out a careful search of the existing names of all parties with extant registration in Nigeria and, finding out that none had the name All Progressive Congress nor the acronym, we chose the name and unveiled it. Thus, by that public announcement, the name All Progressive Congress and the acronym APC became our intellectual property which we shall guard jealously.

“It has therefore come to us as a rude shock that the INEC would announce receipt of a letter from what is known to be a faceless and unknown political group ostensibly driven by sheer mischief purporting to request for registration with the name African Peoples Congress.

The obvious motive of this letter is to attempt, albeit in futility, to scuttle the registration of the All Progressives Congress, which has been so widely publicised and well received to the discomfort of the establishment.”

Continuing, Ikimi stated: “Unfortunately, we have it on good authority that the establishment, gravely troubled by the emergence of a united opposition, has set up a high-powered team headed by a very high ranking officer of government and furnished with unlimited resources from public funds with a clear mandate to corrupt the democratic institutions and destabilise the opposition.

“We have taken the pains to furnish the foregoing facts because we will not accept any attempt by INEC, relying on a dubious application clearly not in compliance with the conditions set out in the constitution or the Electoral Act, to scuttle our plans to formalise our merger under our adopted name and acronym.

New APC unveils identity
Falling out of a prior application before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration as a political party, the newly formed African Peoples Congress (APC) also yesterday disclosed its identity with the official unveiling of its logo, flag, constitution, manifesto, slogan, membership card, national officers and a protem national chairman, Chief Onyinye Ikeagwuonu.

The APC stated that it was poised to create a “people’s alternative” that will eventually break the “axis of evil” the current political parties in government have subjected Nigerians to since 1999.

In a speech delivered in Abuja by its national chairman “to mark the end of completion of the constitutional process for registration as a political party by INEC”, he regretted that since 1999 Nigerians have entrusted their political fortunes in the hands of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and other politicians who have shown “a resounding emptiness of character, clearly unfit for any kind of leadership”.

Ikeagwuonu said: “Since 1999, all we have to show for their political dominance is purposeless and rudderless leadership that has added little or no value to the lives and welfare of the average Nigerian.

The collective achievements of these contraptions called PDP, ACN, and ANPP can best be likened to the dance of the penguins – one step forward, two steps backward - and the woes of our country continue to evolve from bad to worse.

“With the economy of the states wound round monthly allocations and diverted council funds, the governors of the PDP shuttle across the globe in private jets that further diminish the resources of their states, leaving the people to bear the brunt.

As a matter of urgent national importance, we urge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately commence investigation into the source of fund used to purchase the private jets by these public officers.”

Ikeagwuonu took a swipe at the new opposition merger, All Progressive Congress (APC), tagging it an “alliance of political desperadoes”.

The party sought to clear the perceived misconceptions. It insisted that it applied to INEC for registration through a lawyer whose services it retained and a letter duly submitted to the commission. Subsequently, the party stated, it got a reply from INEC stipulating requirements and preconditions for registration.

Within the period, it paid the N1million administrative and processing fee stipulated by the commission, said Ikeagwuonu. “Today we have submitted the long list of requirements as prescribed by INEC and have completed the constitutional demand on us for registration as a political party. Accordingly, INEC has duly acknowledged our submission and this is the INEC-endorsed letter to that effect.”

Another APC emerges, unveils logo in Abuja
Another twist was added to the scenario when a new party emerged in Abuja with the name “All Patriotic Citizens”, laying claim to the already controversial acronym of APC.

The new group, at a press conference yesterday, unveiled its logo bearing a lantern symbol and a manifesto in which it said it is “completely committed to liberal democratic and constitutional governance and shall at all times protect and promote them”.

According to an application letter obtained by LEADERSHIP which was addressed to the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated March 8, 2013, and acknowledged by the commission on March 11, 2013, the group said it has existed for the past two years as a pressure group, hence it is requesting the approval of INEC for their group to function as a political party in Nigeria. The letter was signed by the group’s national director of operation, Mr. Oliver Chidi Ike.

The headed letter paper of the new group indicates Plot 1385 Gurara Street, Off IBB Way, Maitama, Abuja, as its office address.

The preamble of APC’s manifesto reads in part, “All Patriotic Citizens is a political association of patriotic Nigerians who have genuine concern for the plight of our nation and are determined to work together irrespective of tribe, religion, sex, e.t.c. to reposition our country Nigeria for peaceful co-existence of all.

We are committed to the re-engineering of our political, economic and social foundations to eschew politics of bitterness and build a new, united and prosperous Nigeria under good democratic governance.”

We shall surpass INEC hurdles – ANPP chairman
The national chairman of the ANPP, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has assured that irrespective of the current hurdles facing the formal registration of the new party with INEC, the APC shall be registered, and will be ready to face the ruling PDP within the next couple of months.

Onu expressed these convictions on Wednesday while receiving the delegation of the stakeholders of the ANPP in Bauchi State led by Senator Mohammed A. Mohammed, who paid him a courtesy call at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

The ANPP national chairman, also noted that the driving philosophy behind the formation of the merger political party was not to compete for political power but to solve the myriad of problems currently facing the nation, as the new party is made up of respectable politicians from different parts of the nation with hands-on experience on how to redeem the dwindling fortunes of the nation.

In his welcome address to the nine-man delegation from Bauchi, Dr Onu said, ‘‘The APC will do a lot for Nigeria. One, it will change the way politics is played in Nigeria. We will move the country away from politics of personality to issues-based and ideas-driven politics.

‘‘Politics of personality is divisive; it uses things that divide like religion and ethnic sentiments. But ideas-based politics unites everybody; for example if some people are poor in Ekiti, others are poor in Ebonyi, and yet others poor in Jigawa State, they will all agree on the same issue on poverty.

http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/50117/2013/03/15/confusion_apc_number_3_emerges.html

1. Why didn't they choose a party with the PDP acronym?

2. Why are these obvious trouble makers of Igbo Origin?

Why is pdp spending so much effort and money dragging a name that has yet to sink-in with Nigerians,the real threat to pdp and strength of the new party are the 10 governors who have signed up,Tinubu/buhari and the disarray within the pdp.this level of naivete na wa.
Anyway,I am very happy the same shocking incompetence we've seen in governance is playing itself out here.
If I were the merging parties I would secretly change the name but openly still continue to drag it,just to make sure they(Pdp) spend more: I would insist on seeing the presence of the party in the minimum required states and other stuffs that would require huge money and logistics.
Aready, Inec cannot come out of all this mess, clean,an indication that the alliance would need to build a robust mechanism to check mate this openly dishonest electoral body.

Election never start and they are already having problems.. APC!!! Smh..

1. Why didn't they choose a party with the
PDP acronym?
2. Why are these obvious trouble makers
of Igbo Origin?
BECAUSE: igbos have awake from sleep of folowing others at back. This time,they mentain what they need.

Humans are so complex, they cut down trees, turn it into papers n write on it "save the trees". This sabotaging of the real APC's efforts, is it still geared towards national development or what?

I am cocck sure like I earlier predicted on this forum that this APC will fall like pack of cards before 2015 Presidential Elections. Why? They are nothing but bunch of political desperados looking for more base to 'steal' as usual without any meaninful welfare package for the masses! LIARS

M̶̲̅ε sef go create M̶̲̥̅̊y̶̲̥̅̊ own APC very soon, making it fourth.

.

I see no reason why the real APC is worried, if the real APC is serious and committed, change the name, register it, and move on.

But has anyone noticed the Elewedus have a perverse interpretation of everything. Hard-work, success, intelligence etc.
They were very proud of the crook lawyer that applied to register APC-2 with a fake address, he was their smartest hero yesterday.

I can imagine if these people were muslims. Chai!!! i digress

Smh for all this tribal bigots

1. APC should have registered before unveiling the name now? Haba!! Can i go to press about my "company" and unveil my products if i havent registered at CAC? Its just common sense.
2. Secondly APC shouldnt be distracted by the desperados clamouring for the name.Let them keep APC.... Its Schoolboy politics. The name means nothing -its the manifesto and strategy that matters. Of all the issues to worry about why should the name take up so much energy?

If truly dis is a strategy by d PDP to dis- stabilize d APC, den its very childish and weak.

Why are they using thesame acronym, can't they think of another or do they think that might make them win an election

when d goin gets tough,only d tough can kip it goin....is dis a nollywood trailer...?damn traitors

tomakint: I am cocck sure like I earlier predicted on this forum that this APC will fall like pack of cards before 2015 Presidential Elections. Why? They are nothing but bunch of political desperados looking for more base to 'steal' as usual without any meaninful welfare package for the masses! LIARS

so are u saying that we should support pdp to continue lootocracy, steal and pardon government they are running?

Anything wey people dey write now them go put " my oga at the top" wetin dat one mean ? Is that the new slank, just wondering . Sorry for derailing your thread.

TB Joshua is the cause of this APC craze!

I saw this somewhere before now. I tought it was a joke, I never know it is such serious. APC1, APC2, APC3. Which one truely stand for the interest of the Masses? That's what I will follow.
Enough of this bankrupts, called PDP.

Patents and Intellectual Properties are not registered by public Annoucement: You go to court or some govt agency. Ikimi should stop talking like a neophyte.

Anyway, the merger already knows that it can no longer use APC. They are just keeping the shouting up as a distraction to their new name. They will announce their new name as soon as they register it with INEC. But the Hawks are watcHing them closely. They might yet again be shocked!

kingoflag: 1. Why didn't they choose a party with the PDP acronym?

2. Why are these obvious trouble makers of Igbo Origin?

Can you blame the Igbos? They have no rational independent mind of their own. They are far worse off than the Hausas.

Shine the 'ego' in their eyes....and they become imbec-iles for local, national and international destruction.

Jega oh Jega, if u are clean why the conspiracy of silence?

PDP is promoting APC more than APC itself.

PDP at it again.. They've got the moiney, power and thugs to break Tinubu and Bugarri to pieces before 2015

Tinubu should just forget bout relocating from his Eko oni baje dump ground to Aso Rock or else, my oga at the top would revisit his university certificate forgery case..

E be like sey TB Joshua don prophesise sey na APC go win 2015.

How are we not sure it is the Merger Party registering another party to win sympathy?

They can't even register a party not to talk of winning Nigeria.