Rival APC warns G7 Governors over defection

As court rules on APC acronym November 28.

The African Peoples’ Congress, currently in court over the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register it as a party, has warned the seven governors of the Kawu Baraje faction of the People Democratic Party, PDP, against yielding to the invitation by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to join it, “to avoid walking into a trap.”
The political association said it was issuing the advice to the governors because it was still contesting its disqualification by INEC.
It said that if the case eventually ended in its favour, it would reclaim the APC acronym and the governors would be stranded.
The governors, who belong to the faction also called the “New PDP”, are Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger).

The APC leadership has already visited Messrs Lamido, Kwankwaso, Amaechi, and Aliyu, to formally invite them to join the opposition party.
In a statement by its National Legal Adviser, Kingsley Nnadi, on Wednesday, the African Peoples’ Congress said the governors risked being excluded from participating in the 2015 general elections if they joined the All Peoples Congress.
It also asked them to identify with it (African Peoples’ Congress) because it had a strong case in court which it might win going by the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“Let the world know that the struggle to reclaim our registration which was wrongfully denied us shall not stop until the Supreme Court decides on the matter,” the association said.
“We advise the Governors who are being wooed to join our rival APC to be careful and look well before they leap to avoid walking into a trap as the ownership of APC belongs to the African People’s Congress and we shall not recognize or honor any deal which was not sought with us by the time we regain our registration.
“They should also note that the Electoral Act forbids the registration or merger of new parties six months to general elections, and what if by the time this case will reach the final court, which is Supreme Court and the conduct of the general elections is few months away and the judiciary rules in our favor, what will be their fate? They will have no platform to participate in the 2015 election.
“So, we advise them to commence negotiation with us in their best interest or advise our rival APC (All Progressive Congress) to change their name before they can join them to avoid the impending political evil doom that shall befall them in the coming weeks.”
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday adjourned hearing to November 28 in a suit filed by the African Peoples’ Congress, challenging INEC’s refusal to register it as a party earlier in the year.
The court will also, on that day, rule on a suit, which the political association filed seeking to restrain INEC and the All Progressives Congress from further tampering with the acronym APC, as well as on another one filed by Lagos Lawyer, Femi Falana, seeking to quash its (African Peoples’ Congress) application