INEC awaits CPC, ANPP’s resolutions on merger

The Independent National Electoral Commission is eagerly awaiting the resolutions from the conventions held by both the Congress for Progressive Change and the All Nigeria Peoples Party on Saturday, a top source in the commission said on Sunday. The two parties had their conventions in Abuja and Gusau respectively, where the decision to merge with the Action Congress of Nigeria and form the All Progressive Congress was formalised.
The ACN had held its convention in Lagos on April 18.
The name of the new party was announced on February 6 in Abuja by all the parties involved in the merger.
The source in INEC, who spoke to one of our correspondents in Abuja anonymously as he was not authorised to do so, said, “We are waiting for them to inform us about the outcome of their conventions which we also monitored.”
He said it was after the commision must have received letters from the two parties that the commission would decide on the next line of action.
The National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who also spoke with one our correspondents, said his party had written to INEC about two weeks ago.
He said, “We have informed INEC about the decision of our party to merge with others and form the APC in a letter we wrote to it about two weeks ago.
“With what happened in Abuja and Gusau on Saturday, both the CPC and the ANPP are to also write to the commission and inform it about the resolutions of their members on the merger.
“Also, since the conventions were also monitored by the INEC, we expect its officials, who were part of the conventions, to also write their own observations or reports. After that, we will fill forms and inform the commission about the interim officers of the new party.”
Mohammed promised that the promoters of the new party would ensure that they met all the requirements as contained in the Electoral Act.
According to Section 84 of the Electoral Act, any two or more parties may merge on approval by the commission, following a formal request presented by the political parties for that purpose.
The National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said the promoters of the new party would wait till the end of the 30 days stipulated by the Act.
According to him, if the commission does not reply the party’s letter, the law says the new party is presumed registered.
Meanwhile, the Africa Peoples Congress on Sunday accused INEC and the merging group of opposition political parties of trying to derail democracy.
The congress said it had approached the court to seek a judicial review of the decision by INEC to deny it registration with its preferred acronym of APC.
Court papers made available to The PUNCH via electronic mail indicated that a Federal High Court in Abuja had slated hearing on the matter for  May 16, 2013.
In a statement by its National Legal Adviser, Nnadi Kingsley, the political association said INEC had been served relevant court papers.