15th March, 2013
The Publicity Secretary of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe has outlined ten reasons why the real APC (All Progressives Congress) must stand in spite of the intrigues surrounding the acronym ‘APC’ allegedly orchestrated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in cahoots with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
According to Igbokwe, the reasons are: “ACN, ANPP, CPC and APGA driving the real APC merger are bona fide registered political parties in Nigeria and they are merging, not registering a new political party, as the mischief makers behind the latest scam thought;
“ACN, ANPP, CPC and APGA control 11 states out of 36 States in Nigeria . These parties are merging and this is guided by a clear provision of the country’s electoral law, different from a fresh registration application;
“These registered parties have been on the merger plan prior to 2011 elections. They didn’t consummate it before the 2011 elections but continued after the election till the present day;
“The drivers and facilitators of this merger are well known Nigerians with infinite capacity to hold their own anytime, anywhere, any day. We wonder where the scammers that suddenly realized the power of the name we have chosen come from and where they are doing their politics if not in the briefcases of PDP chieftains;
“INEC led by Professor Attahiru Jega knew of all the efforts, all the engagements, all the meetings, all the processes the leaders of the real APC have put in to make the merger a reality;
“If there is any iota of dignity left in INEC in Abuja, and if integrity, honesty and character mean anything to INEC, the electoral body should have known by now that clowns and nitwits are at work to deny the real APC the fruit of their labour;
“Jega-led INEC was duly informed of the plans to convene a National Convention to ratify the formation of the new Party, APC;
“I am not a lawyer, but I know that the new APC leaders gave sufficient notice to Jega-led INEC in accordance with the Electoral Acts provisions signifying of their intention to merge. They also made known the name of the merged political party in February this year;
“The world is asking why there is this sudden crave for the name, APC, by some mischief makers in Abuja if it is not an attempt to stop the real APC simply because PDP is afraid that its days are numbered in Nigeria with the coming of All Progressives Congress;
“I recall the dying days of the late General Sani Abacha when one Mr. Daniel Kanu organised a 2 million man march in Abuja for Abacha to succeed himself and what happened thereafter. I just hope those playing this dangerous game in Abuja know the implication of what they are doing and the fact that this chicanery may lead to the truncation of our renascent democracy.”