The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will only register a political association if it has met all the conditions for registration, the Director of Public Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Umenger, said.
Umenger made the commission’s stand known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
He was reacting to plans by the ACN, ANPP, CPC and a faction of APGA to merge under a new name “All Progressive Congress (APC)”.
He said that the parties seeking to adopt a new name had merely notified the commission about their resolve to merge.
He explained that they had yet to meet all the requirements as stipulated by the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended).
“Until they fulfil the requirements including a formal request then there is no talk of registration, because you don’t register what you don’t have an application for.
“Any two or more registered political parties may merge on approval by the commission, following a formal request presented to the commission by the political parties for that purpose,’’ he said.
Umenge pointed out that the Action Congress of Nigeria on behalf of the other three political parties only forwarded to the commission a formal notification of a new name adopted by them as a mega party.
He said their letter was dated March 6, 2013 and was received March 7 addressed to the INEC Chairman entitled “Formal Notification of Name”.
It read: “It would be recalled that on the 6th of February 2013 Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) met at Abuja.
“And held a world conference at which notice was sent to the world as it was widely reported in the media of our intention to merge under a new
name: “All Progressive Congress (APC)’’.
Umenge said the letter quoted did not represent a formal application for registration and withdrawal of their previous registrations of the separate parties.
He said that the registration of the mega as APC needed to fulfil many more conditions than the members had done to realise their goal.
He said that all the chieftains knew the constitutional requirements for registration of a new political party.
Umenge said that as stipulated by the law any political parties intending to merge shall each give to the commission 90 days notice before the next general election.
He said that the law stated: “The written request for merger shall be sent to the Chairman of the commission.
“And shall be signed jointly by the National Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer for the time being of the different political parties proposing the merger.
Umenger explained further that the request shall be accompanied by a special resolution passed by the National convention of each of the political parties proposing to merge, approving the merger.
He said there should be proposal of a full name and acronym, constitution, manifesto, symbol or logo of the party.
“Together with the address of the national office and evidence of payment of administrative cost of N100,000 or as may be fixed by an Act of Parliament.
Umenger said the commission would then consider the request, and communicate its decision to the parties before the expiration of 30 days from the date of the receipt of the formal request.
He maintained that INEC would go ahead to register an association if the merging parties fulfilled the requirements.
“As far as the commission is concerned all the laws as stipulated for registration of parties have not yet been met, the laws are there, they know what is required,’’ he said. (NAN)