We’ve not stopped ACN/CPC merger - INEC

INEC Chairman

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted reports that it has rejected a bid by some political parties to merge as the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This corrects the publication on Monday that INEC wrote to the All Progressives Congress to look for another acronym, as the APC already existed.
The letter was actually written to the All Progressive Congress of Nigeria (APCN).

The letter by the electoral commission, signed by Kayode Idowu, said the electoral commission has not rejected a bid by some political parties to merge as the All Progressives Congress (APC).

INEC, however, reassured Nigerians that it has not stopped the merger of the All Progressives Congress, confirming that the said letter was indeed written to another All Progressive Congress of Nigeria (APCN).

According to Idowu, “the commission, in a letter by its secretary dated April 23, 2013, only declined an application by another association seeking to register as the All Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APCN), for the reason that the acronym proposed by the association is similar to that of another already seeking registration.

“The commission hereby reassures Nigerians that it will always do the right thing as a dispassionate and impartial regulator of the political process.
“The reports are utterly false. The commission has not written to stop the merger bid as APC.”

Meanwhile, the court will decide today whether to grant the African People’s Congress leave to challenge its non-registration by the electoral commission.

INEC had denied the registration of the African People’s Congress on the grounds that sufficient details were not provided about its national officers.

Source: Nigeria Tribune