INEC’s Non-recognition Confirms APC’s Ineligibility For 2023 Elections, Says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the non-recognition of the activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) further confirms PDP’s position that the ruling party lacks the legitimacy and statutory requisites to participate in the 2023 general elections.

The PDP stressed that INEC’s refusal to honour APC’s invitation to attend its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting as well as the Commission’s disapproval of APC’s National Convention scheduled for March 26, 2022 further authenticated its stand that the APC is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in liquidation, preparatory to winding up, that cannot legally produce candidates for the election.

It was reported on Friday that INEC rejected the party’s notice for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for next week Thursday and refused to recognise Abubakar Bello, Governor of Niger State as the Chairman of APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party.

Inside sources said Governor Bello, upon resumption as Chairman of CECPC of APC, transmitted a letter dated 8th March, 2022, informing INEC of the change of guard at the APC National Secretariat and the upcoming NEC meeting.

But replying APC in a letter dated March 9 and addressed to the “national chairman”, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, INEC secretary, said notice for the NEC meeting was not signed by Mai-Mala Buni, CECPC Chairman and John Akpanudoedehe, Secretary.

Reacting to the development, Debo Ologunagba, PDP national publicity secretary said the decision by INEC is another unmistaken ‘red flag’ to intending aspirants on the platform of the APC in the 2023 general elections that the party has become defunct and cannot validly, legally and constitutionally field candidates in the 2023 general elections.

Ologunagba in a statement called on Nigerians to note that the APC by its actions has commenced an inevitable descent into self-inflicted political extinction.

The statement reads in parts: “Our Party draws attention to the grave import of INEC’s letter to the APC, dated March 9, 2022 to the effect that APC’s NEC meeting scheduled for Thursday March 17, 2022 will not be recognized by the Commission due to invalid notice; a development that will invalidate any decision reached at such meeting.

“Furthermore, INEC’s reference to the failure of the APC to give the required 21-day notice for its National Convention confirms the invalidity and unconstitutionality of any National Convention conducted by the APC’s illegal Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

“As it stands today, regardless of the boldface escapist excuses, the Sword of Damocles hangs precariously on the status of the contraption called CECPC and the APC itself. This signals an existential threat to the soulless, precipice-bound bunch of pretenders masquerading as a political party.

“The PDP had earlier informed Nigerians, especially intending aspirants on the platform of the APC that the APC became legally non-operational when in December 8, 2020 it dissolved its National, State as well as Local Government structures and handed its affairs over to an illegal body.

“Moreover, the PDP informs such aspirants that the widespread intractable infighting for the soul of the defunct APC by ferocious ‘political warlords’ is not for election purposes but in desperation for the control of APC structures as pedestals to further pillage public fund before and during the elections.

“We call on Nigerians to remain alert and hopeful as our Party takes decisive steps to democratically take over governance in 2023 in our mission to Rescue and Rebuild our nation from the rudderless, vicious, clueless and visionless APC.”