Opposition Coalition Begins Quest to Register APC

Chief Tom  Ikimi

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The opposition coalition has started making moves to formally register the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose abbreviation is still being contested by another rival group, the African Peoples Congress.

THISDAY gathered Thursday night from a reliable source that a meeting of the opposition merger joint committee and the sub-committee handling the registration of All Progressives Congress with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  has been fixed for Sunday.

The source said the agenda of the meeting would be to deliberate on modalities and strategies to be adopted in ensuring the smooth registration of the proposed party.

According to the source, who is also a member of the merger committee, the meeting intends to receive various presentations on materials and procedures required by INEC.

He said the Jame Ocholi-led sub-committee on the registration will use the opportunity to intimate the merging parties on what is expected of them as the process moves into the next stage after the coalescing parties held their successive national convention.

"Our joint committee on the merger will be meeting on Sunday to prepare the groundwork for the formalisation of the opposition merger process with INEC," he said.

The source said the Sunday meeting will be preceded by consultations aimed at getting the documentary process ready for formal engagement with the electoral body.

The leaders of the merger joint committee are Chief Tom  Ikimi, (Action Congress of Nigeria), Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau (All Nigeria Peoples Party),  Chief Annie Okonkwo, (All Progressives Grand Alliance) and  Alhaji Garba Gadi (Congress for Progressive Change).

ThisDay