Confusion over the use of the acronym, APC, worsened on Thursday as a third group, the All Patriotic Citizens, which is seeking registration as a political party, laid claim to it.

Two groups – the All Progresssives Congress and the African Peoples Congress – had earlier engaged in a war of words over the ownership of the acronym.

The All Patriotic Citizens and the African Peoples Congress said they had submitted their registration applications to the Independent National Electoral Commission for registration as political parties.

But the merger committee of the sponsors of the All Progresssives Congress – the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change, the All Nigeria Peoples Party and the All Progressive Grand Alliance – said there was no going back on the decision by the group to use the acronym.

“We have informed the whole world of our decision to merge under the name All Progressive Congress with acronym, APC,”the Chairman of merger committee, Chief Tom Ikimi, said during a press conference in Abuja.

“We are determined to pursue the process to its logical conclusion in the interest of our fatherland. The feeble attempt by any other entity to pretend to use the same acronym is an exercise in futility which must fail because it amounts to what in law is called passing off,” ”Ikimi added.

But as the press conference went on, the National Director of Operation, All Patriotic Citizens, Mr. Oliver Ike, released a statement in which he said that the group had submitted its application for registration to INEC.

“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,” Ike stated.

A copy of the application, which was made available to one of our correspondents, was dated March 8, 2013. INEC’s acknowledgement stamp was dated March 11, 2013.

The political group’s logo includes a lantern. It has its national office at Plot 1385 Gurara Street, Off IBB Street, Abuja.

The group said that its membership consisted of patriotic Nigerians that had genuine concern for the plight of Nigerian masses.

Besides the All Patriotic Citizens, the African Peoples Congress on Thursday beat the merger parties’ APC to the submission of requirements for its registration.

Okija_juju: And the Winner is!!

[size=16pt]PDP[/size]



_{I would have said 'FIRST TO COMMENT', but I dont want to say that and 'My Ogas at the Top' will vex and ban me...}

devour129: i foresee a revolution in the nearest future and i mean this year ! people are boiling and i doubt if they can wait for 2015 to change government or the leaders

idnoble135:
smh 4 u, yes, u r d 1st coment, bt which gift did u recieve 4 dt?

The gift of 'FIRST TO COMMENT'..

Dont hate.. The gods of Shedrach, Mishak and Alamiesigha will remember you one day..

idnoble135:
smh 4 u, yes, u r d 1st coment, bt which gift did u recieve 4 dt?

iykak47: Why can't you start it? Abi na for mouth

idnoble135: smh. Buhari n Tinubu r in trouble. Dts wt u gt wen u talk too much n less wrk. If oda party wins dt acronym, dey wld av gained cheap popularity courtesy of Buhari n Tinubu.*i am watchin dz scene usin 3g ntwrk*

Elose11: The merging parties are a very unserious group. In fact, they are parties that promote lawlessness. The fact that you have told the world APC is your acronym does not mean that it's legally yours. The other groups claiming the acronym are busy fine tuning their registration processes, the merging parties are busy wiping up sentiments. Tinubu, Lai and Buhari should know that Nigeria has grown beyond motor park politics. If they are serious about uprooting PDP in 2015 they had better be ready to work harder that they are doing presently. Resorting to self help will not work this time around.