Again APC Fails to Unveil Nat'l Officers

The three political parties, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, seeking registration under the All Progressives Congress, APC, failed again to unveil national officers that would run the affairs of the party.

Speaking shortly after merger committees' meeting with journalists, ACN Merger Committee Chairman, Chief Tom Ikimi said the meeting which was very 'important' could not release the names of the interim national officers, because the merger committees continued deliberation on the matter and failed to reach a compromise and had to refer its disagreement to the caucuses of the merging political parties for further discussion.

Ikimi said when issues concerning the names and positions of the interim leadership of the APC were resolved at the caucus meeting of the merging parties then officers would be made public.
He said, "It was a very important meeting that continued from last Tuesday, and we have reviewed the processes as regards to registration of our party, and looked into various issues in order that we can carry all the merging parties along.
"This evening (Tuesday) there will be caucus meeting of the merging parties. We have worked out various options which we want to take to the caucuses, we will meet with the leadership in our caucuses and finalise these matters.



"We have put in various structures to ensure that all the merging parties are taking along, and this we will discuss tonight. Every party has its own operandi.
"There is no time left now to unveil the national officers. I am sure is just matter of days." Speaking on the application for registration with INEC Ikimi said that the merging political parties had received forms which will soon be completed and retuned to INEC.
"Application has been put, INEC has replied, and some forms have been given to the parties to complete, and these forms to complete is to have the names of the interim national officers. On the submission of names we shall discuss it with the leadership of our parties and all these issues will be resolved," he stated.
However, National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Engr. Rotimi Fashakin said the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, demanded the expansion of the offices submitted to it as criteria for the registration of APC, which the merging parties in collaboration with the merger committees were working out to meet INEC's requirement.
"Before now the three national chairmen, secretaries, and treasurers of the legacy parties those that are known to law as regards signatories by INEC demanded the need to expand that according to the APC constitution submitted to INEC.
"What is happening now is about efforts being made to expand that and to broaden on that submission to INEC so that everything will be totally correct. So we are working out the positions of deputy national chairman, secretary, treasurer, also national publicity secretary in collaboration with the merger committees and the working committees of the parties.
"All the same those positions (national chairman, secretary and treasurer) known to law are already settled with INEC.
"Before the end of the week we shall unveil the national interim officers of APC," Fashakin stated.
He denied that rancour had not been within the merging political parties concerning the names of the interim national officers as being insinuated.