PDP IN DESPERATE PLOT TO CAPTURE APC’S NAME

There were strong indications last
night that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is behind moves to
register a new political party, African Peoples Congress (APC), with the sole
aim of appropriating the acronym.

Agents of the PDP, according to sources, allegedly filed the
papers for registration of the new grouping with the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) last week to serve as a counterpoise to the
fledgling All Progressive Congress (APC) — an amalgam of political parties
including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change
(CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the fractious All Progressives
Grand Alliance (APGA).

But, in a swift reaction, the secretary of the PDP’s Board of
Trustees, Senator Jubril Walid, told LEADERSHIP that the allegation that his
party was behind the move to register the new grouping is baseless.

“It is not the duty of any political party to register another
party, but the responsibility of the INEC. And this is a constitutional matter;
so if INEC decides to register or, as the case may be, deregister any party, it
is totally the duty of the electoral organ. But to insinuate that the PDP is
behind the registration of a political party or not is nothing but pure
mischief,” he said.

Nonetheless, secretary of the CPC Buba Galadima has asked the
All Progressive Congress merger committee to start looking for a new name,
blaming them for lacking the foresight to anticipate the emergence of another
party seeking registration under the alias “APC”.

INEC has already confirmed the development. The chief press
secretary to its chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said that the new grouping had
approached the commission for registration as a political party, but declared
that it still had to fulfil some criteria before it could be registered. He
refused to disclose the promoters of the party.

Idowu also disclosed that the merger party, APC, was yet to file
any application with the INEC to be registered as a party.

However, some PDP chieftains sympathetic to the merger
arrangement told LEADERSHIP last night that the recourse to float a new party
with the same acronym is a desperate ploy to stall the registration of APC.

“I can tell you authoritatively: the PDP is behind the move to
register APC, otherwise let the promoters show their faces. After all, you
cannot be making moves to form a political association that will openly canvass
for votes and supporters in hiding. They should be courageous enough to unmask
themselves. Won’t they canvass for votes?” said a PDP chieftain who would not
like his name in print. “The whole thing smacks of desperation. You don’t need
any soothsayer to interpret whose hand it is. That has been an old game, but
then it is a clarion call for the merging parties to move faster and stop
dilly-dallying. The implication is that the merging parties should be
forward-looking, bearing in mind that such political games are imminent in a
power contest. The rule is clear: no two parties with similar acronym would be
allowed to contest any election.”

Galadima:
Start looking for new name

 Lamenting the situation, CPC’s national secretary Galadima
said the issue is not whether PDP is behind the move but the blame, he said,
should go to the merger committee. The committee, he said, was busy playing to
the gallery rather than moving faster. They should be blamed for what has
happened, he said, urging the APC committee to start looking for a new name.

In a telephone chat with LEADERSHIP, Galadima blamed the merger
committee for underestimating the PDP, saying the committee “should have
silently done what they are doing, register the party and then do convention.
They have to change the name now”.

Blaming the merger committee for what he called “their lack of
foresight”, he said: “They gave room for the current situation. PDP will do
everything under its powers to scuttle the process, but you should be one step
ahead. When you are up against a party like the PDP you have to be extremely
careful. There is no need to fight anybody. They should look for another name.”

The application letter for the registration of the party, which
originated from the LEGAL WORLD CHAMBERS (Legal Practitioners), was dated
February 28, 2013, and addressed to the chairman of INEC.

The letter signed by Barr. Nwokorie Samuel Chinedu, which is in
possession of LEADERSHIP, reads in part: “Application for Approval to Register
‘African Peoples Congress’ As a Political Party in Nigeria.

We are solicitors to the promoters of AFRICAN PEOPLES CONGRESS
(hereinafter referred to as “our clients”) on whose instructions and authority
we write you this letter.

“Our clients in pursuance of their political ambitions intend to
register a political party in Nigeria with the name “AFRICAN PEOPLES CONGRESS.

“Premised on the above, we therefore humbly wish to apply to
your office for approval to register ‘AFRICAN PEOPLES CONGRESS’ as a political
party in Nigeria, having carried out a search on the proposed name to the
effect that no other political party registered in Nigeria bears same.

“We will be very grateful if our request is granted as we pledge
to comply with all the requirements of your esteemed commission.

“Thank you in anticipation of your kind consideration.”