Threat to APC: PDP, ACN, CPC in war of words

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor



LAGOS — The parties in the fledgling All Progressive Congress, APC, were last night engaged in a war of words with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over alleged plans by the ruling party to sabotage their merger.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, were furious over what they claimed to be plans by the PDP to sponsor the registration of a new party to be known as the African Peoples Congress, APC.

The new political association with the same acronym with the mega opposition party, it was alleged, is being sponsored to deny the mega opposition party registration before the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The PDP in a reaction denied the claim, saying it would not be held liable for the negligence and incompetence of the merger parties it described as “our grossly inferior opponents.”

The plan by the opposition political parties to merge into APC ran into trouble on account of the proposal for the registration of another party to be known as the African Peoples Congress. The sponsors of the new party could not be identified last night.

Registration remains open —INEC

INEC officials contacted on the matter, yesterday, said registration remained open to either of the two parties which first met its conditions for registration.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, confirmed that the commission received a proposal for the registration of the African Peoples Congress, APC, last week but would not confirm the identity of the sponsors.

Asked of the implications, Idowu said the fate of the two proposals would depend on the provisions of the law.

He said: “What the law requires is that if a group applies and the law has already provided for things to be met, like a checklist, it is not a matter of INEC cherry picking or preferences. There is a checklist and once a group meets that checklist, any group that meets that checklist is registered with that name.”

Asked if two parties could bear the same acronym, Idowu said:
“That is what I said, I doubt it, I doubt it, but the point I am making is that it is an application and whoever meets the conditions first gets registered.”

ACN, CPC finger PDP

The ACN and the CPC were, however, not hesitant in identifying the PDP as sponsor of the new party which they claimed was being pushed as a deliberate effort to deny their mega party registration.

“If INEC refuses to register the All Progressives Congress, APC, when all the legal requirements have been met, the protest in Tahrir Square in Egypt will be a child’s play compared to what we will do at the Eagle Square,” the ACN’s national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said in a statement, yesterday.

“We say this because we are aware that the PDP, which is mortally afraid of the rise and rise of the APC, is behind the phantom African Peoples Congress which has applied to INEC for registration, in an effort to instigate an acronym crisis and give INEC a reason, if it needs any, not to register the All Progressives Congress.

“But we will like to warn that if indeed INEC has not merged with the PDP, as one of our leaders, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has brilliantly said, then we do hope that the electoral body, which by the way is not unaware of the All Progressives Congress as the authentic APC, will not succumb to the evil machinations of the apprehensive PDP.

“It is a PDP plan in collusion with INEC but we will not take it lightly with them and all their plans will come to nothing. Indeed, we are very much aware of that and it won’t work, it will fail. We are just watching the INEC as an umpire to check them.

“We have already given indication and the whole world has heard us that we are APC and if they are trying to bring in another APC it won’t work.”

PDP denies allegations

But denying any involvement of the PDP in the alleged plans, the party’s national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, told Vanguard, yesterday: “The PDP is totally unaware of the status of the APC registration. We are unconcerned and completely unperturbed. In the words of our Board of Trustees’ chairman ‘we wish them well’.

“PDP cannot be held liable for any negligence and/or incompetence on the part of our grossly inferior opponents.”

The legacy parties in the APC announced their plans for merger on February 6, 2013 and forwarded a formal letter to INEC to that effect on March 6.

Mohammed was, however, insistent last night that INEC had a constructive knowledge of their proposal since last month when they made their intentions known.

Yerima’s arrest, move to clamp down on opposition

The ACN, meanwhile, has flayed Saturday’s arrest of Senator Ahmed Yerima, describing the action of the security agencies in Kaduna as a demonstration of the administration’s plans to clamp down on the opposition.

The party’s spokesman, Mohammed in a statement said the arrest of Senator Yerima for alleged incitement was indicative of the fact that the administration is jittery.

The party said Senator Yerima did not say anything extraordinary by threatening a protest, because protests are an integral part of liberal democracy and cannot be wished away or banned by anyone.

The party said it expects more arrests, investigations by anti-corruption agencies and other acts aimed at intimidating its leaders in the weeks and months ahead, but warned the Federal Government to make sure it had enough prison space to accommodate those it plans to arrest.

Mohammed said: “After all, it is generally believed that the recent redeployment of Police Commissioners in the states was done in readiness for the pre-2015 clampdown on the opposition.

“We know the arrest of Senator Yerima is just a tip of the iceberg, as the PDP-controlled Federal Government gets ready to bare its fangs. But we must warn that fascism can never prevail over liberal democracy.’’


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/03/threat-to-apc-pdp-acn-cpc-in-war-of-words/

Instead of those clowns in the CPC and ACN (forget about Okorocha,he doesnt know what he is doing and will be thrown under the bus in due time) to do the important things such as nam,e registration with INEC,they were busy squabbling over whether to use the picture of a broom or that of a weeping Buhari as their logo.

OK na,let them dissipate their energy on logos,while the real politicians do what is right

Are you sure that ACN and CPC wont be better on their own? The Thing never start wahala just full everywhere

Who are the sponsors of the other APC? PDP ghosts! This is nothing but an act of political desperation from a party that mouths platitude about being the biggest political party in Africa, yet its panicky over the rising profile of the coalition party and has resorted to aggressive underhand measure to stymie it. There is nothing sacrosanct about the name/acronym APC, what matters the most are the political participants in the merger and what they have to offer to Nigerians. The movers of the party are savvy enough politically to have a plan B,C and even D. GMB who said earlier that PDP is in cahoots with INEC was right on point!

Though, I am 100% sure that INEC won't have a choice but to register APC(the coalition party) since the other "abracadabra" APC is yet to meet the requirement for registration, and going by the threat of the coalition parties! PDP's politics of intimidation, wuruwuru and harassment won't stop the emergence of a suitable opposition to it!

Blame everything on PDP. Some are undisputed number one on blames.
If actually the story is true (that PDP is sponsoring registration of another APC), then this shows these APC guys are just learners. Is it now a crime to register a party?? If you conceive an acronym and i conceive same, the law recognizes whoever registers it first.

Stop crying foul and blame before the match. Get busy working already.

lol.

All Progressive Congress, a party on paper!

Na wa oo. How can a party which cannot get something as simple as registration right, be trusted with a local government, least of all a state. I laugh like Obj.

I think it's the weaker party that should be so desperate in using any trick available to challenge the bigger party. It seems it's the other way round, shameless PDP must so scared to have gone this far if true. While some Laptop crew members wanted us to believe PDP is at ease with the emergence of the merger
It's obvious PDP has only survived due to poor democracy being practiced in Nigeria before now. All in all, I wish the right person is eleccted irrespective of the party he or she is with.

Paul John: I think it's the weaker party that should be so desperate in using any trick available to challenge the bigger party. It seems it's the other way round, shameless PDP must so scared to have gone to this far if true. While some Laptop crew members wanted us to believe PDP is at ease with the emergence of the merger
It's obvious PDP has only survived due to poor democracy being practiced in Nigeria before now. All in all, I wish the right person is eleccted irrespective of the party he or she is with.

I disagree.

Politics is a strategy game. Preventing the juncture of your enemy is one of the strategies of the game. PDP has every right to legally frustrate the registration of APC, that is if they are even responsible for this. Next time when other parties contemplate a merger, they should understand the importance of getting all agreement and paper work done before going public.

But with so many loquacious characters and Lai(s) in the merging parties, such shoddy job is not unexpected. I expected them to waste more time whining and crying PDP instead of them to go back to the drawing board and do things the right way.

Bunch of desperate ignorant people.

Paul John: I think it's the weaker party that should be so desperate in using any trick available to challenge the bigger party. It seems it's the other way round, shameless PDP must so scared to have gone to this far if true. While some Laptop crew members wanted us to believe PDP is at ease with the emergence of the merger
It's obvious PDP has only survived due to poor democracy being practiced in Nigeria before now. All in all, I wish the right person is eleccted irrespective of the party he or she is with.

Bro, even this trickery and treachery of theirs won't work. The other "Faceless" party is yet to be registered, the threat coming from the opposition is just to put INEC on its toes. Apart from PDP members getting jittery, those other folks who are against the merger are blinded and motivated by clannish sentiments/resentment and animosity, they are not bothered if we truly run a true democracy or not. To them PDP's do or die and wuruwuru politics is fair!

What has PDP done again. If the newly merged party are at peace with their decision what is keeping them from registering the party officially. If Pdp is aidding a new party that wants to take their name, then i think pdp is smarter and thats a plus for them. I expect the opposition to move fast and way more smarter than pdp. How then do we trust them to save Nigeria. If they can't keep their house in order they sure as hell can't keep this country in order.

When I heard PDP had merged with INEC I thought it was a joke...

PointB:

I disagree.

Politics is a strategy game. Preventing the juncture of your enemy is one of the strategies of the game. PDP has every right to legally frustrate the registration of APC, that is if they are even responsible for this. Next time when other parties contemplate a merger, they should understand the importance of getting all agreement and paper work done before going public.

But with so many loquacious characters and Lai(s) in the merging parties, such shoddy job is not unexpected. I expected them to waste more time whining and crying PDP instead of them to go back to the drawing board and do things the right way.

Bunch of desperate ignorant people.

^^
Haha, 'strategy' indeed.
I'm sure you'd have crucified the opposition had it been they've used this same 'strategy' you're being sentimental.

Mr. Garri:
When I heard PDP had merged with INEC I thought it was a joke...

No be joke o! In fact PDP is INEC! Wonder why they claim PDP will rule Nigeria for 60years?

take dat: Bro, even this trickery and treachery of theirs won't work. The other "Faceless" party is yet to be registered, the threat coming from the opposition is just to put INEC on its toes. Apart from PDP members getting jittery, those other folks who are against the merger are blinded and motivated by clannish sentiments/resentment and animosity, they are not bothered if we truly run a true democracy or not. To them PDP's do or die and wuruwuru politics is fair!

They won't accept that fact, they've truely been blinded

AnitaMandy: If Pdp is aidding a new party that wants to take their name, then i think pdp is smarter and thats a plus for them. I expect the opposition to move fast and way more smarter than pdp. How then do we trust them to save Nigeria. If they can't keep their house in order they sure as hell can't keep this country in order.

Going by what you've said then you'll agree with me that PDP palpable fear that the Merger is‎​ becoming a reality is‎​ pushing them into "infantile manoeuvres" to scuttle their plans. A party that prides itself as the biggest party in Africa should be wise enough to know that such actions will only make the voting masses sympathise with the APC.

Only God knows what other clandestine and mischievous tactics the PDP plans to deploy as we draw closer to 2015..

Mr. Garri:
When I heard PDP had merged with INEC I thought it was a joke...

If this is true i think APC or whatever is just westing time, money and energy.

Paul John:

^^
Haha, 'strategy' indeed.
I'm sure you'd have crucified the opposition had it been they've used this same 'strategy' you're being sentimental.

It's not about being sentimental, it about reality. I am not a card carrying member of any party. I vote for the right candidate. The opposition should sort themselves out, this is one of their trials. There are many good acronyms out there. Unless that a deficient in ideas, they should be able to solve this simple matter.

Jega makes Abel Goubadia and Mourice Iwu look like saints.

The PDP is but a curse unto this once great nation. But out hopes of a better future has been rekindled by the emmergence of APC. No ammount of intimidation, blackmailing, and clandestine manouverings by the nest of killers is gonna put out the light of the rising star.

God bless Nigeria.

Buhari has already said it that INEC is Nigeria biggest electoral problem, as long as Inec is not really independent then we will never have real democracy in Nigeria.

Don't be surprised that the idea to register another APC in order to block the real peoples APC was even given to PDP by inec itself.

How time flies now nobody talks about Jegas credibility after all the stunts he is also another Iwu or Guobadia

omenka: Jega makes Abel Goubadia and Mourice Iwu look like saints.

The PDP is but a curse unto this once great nation. But out hopes of a better future has been rekindled by the emmergence of APC. No ammount of intimidation, blackmailing, and clandestine manouverings by the nest of killers is gonna put out the light of the rising star.

God bless Nigeria.

You go fear

take dat: Who are the sponsors of the other APC? PDP ghosts! This is nothing but an act of political desperation from a party that mouths platitude about being the biggest political party in Africa, yet its panicky over the rising profile of the coalition party and has resorted to aggressive underhand measure to stymie it. There is nothing sacrosanct about the name/acronym APC, what matters the most are the political participants in the merger and what they have to offer to Nigerians. The movers of the party are savvy enough politically to have a plan B,C and even D. GMB who said earlier that PDP is in cahoots with INEC was right on point!

Though, I am 100% sure that INEC won't have a choice but to register APC(the coalition party) since the other "abracadabra" APC is yet to meet the requirement for registration, and going by the threat of the coalition parties! PDP's politics of intimidation, wuruwuru and harassment won't stop the emergence of a suitable opposition to it!

Sorry Sir. It is not political desperation but Strategic Decimation!!
If the coalition is not smart enough to get something as simple as registering a name right, is it the task of dislodging a multi billion dollar party that would be easy?? This simply shows that while the coalition is shouting on the newspapers, other parties are strategising!

Whining is for girls. Strategy is for kings! Obama says this constantly: Power never lets!! You go after it. It would not come to you because you want it.
I pity the opposition. It's ranks are completely lacking in strategic thinkers but swelling with pathetic whinners! The only strategic one they have is the lion of Bourdillion. Fortunately or unfortunately, he has his own personal cards and would discard the coalition when it doesn't align with his own mathematics!

PapaBrowne:

Sorry Sir. It is not political desperation but Strategic Decimation!!
If the coalition is not smart enough to get something as simple as registering a name right, is it the task of dislodging a multi billion dollar party that would be easy?? This simply shows that while the coalition is shouting on the newspapers, other parties are strategising!

Whining is for girls. Strategy is for kings! Obama say this constantly: Power never lets!! You go after it. It would not come to you because you want it.
I pity the opposition. It's ranks are completely lacking in strategic thinkers but swelling with pathetic whinners! The only strategic one they have is the lion of Bourdillion. Fortunately or unfortunately, he has his own personal cards and would discard the coalition when it doesn't align with his own mathematics!

Given your persistent whinging on the Politics section, I find it quite rich that this comment is coming from you.

Hypocrisy surely is no respecter of person. March on bro!

Don't mind the All Progressives Congress. The time they should have used to tidy up the paper work and get registered as a party, they were busy making noise and arguing over mere party logo, etc. Now they may be left with the option of changing their name. Eehyaaa.

Whether PDP has a hand in the registration of the other APC or not, the fact is that Buhari's APC got their priorities wrong. I don't even think they are actually serious with this their merger, looking at the way the merging parties were still releasing press statements and responding to matters in the name of their individual parties, when they had claimed to have merged into APC, especially that Lai Mohammed of a man, always responding to and releasing press statements over every issue in the country.

The silence of PDP on all this merger talk ever since it began is very dangerous. If I decided to go and register a party with the name APC am not wrong neither did I commit any crime. He/she who registers it first owns it. Period

Reserved...

............Mr. Kayode Idowu,
confirmed that the commission
received a proposal for the
registration of the African Peoples
Congress, APC, last week but would
not confirm the identity of the
sponsors...............
this is where am confused.why would you hide the identity of those that were behind it something belonging to public?something kinda not transparent here.
but I don't trust apc big lord either.they can do it on puporse. it is still early to fight for this.

True to type they are now blaming PDP for their carelessness. It is a straight up thing; I want to register a business name, what do I do? I go to CAC and do my findings quietly to know if my intended company name is available. I don't do that on the pages of national dailies. Another example, I want to register a domain name, I check with host and domain registrars if my intended domain name is available. INEC as a just arbiter cannot and is not meant to inform the Buhari/Tinubu APC about whoever is wanting to register a party. It is plain and simple they did not do their ground work well. Tells a lot about the kind of people they have.

i just dey laugh

I see this APC party as a problematic party to 9ja,you always look for ways to make problem & course war in the nation through ur arms-unit B/H,plz for God sake INEC is a national electoral body in the country that handle political issue in the country if your new criminals party have been before why can you change the name,this a how you bunch of criminals will course another round of killing if you lose 2015 which it is assured

It is good for APC, that PDP came up with this tactics to frustrate the merger, it will definitely give APC enough energy and time to come with something better than this.