INEC to Decide on APC's Fate on Thursday

The policy making organs of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) will meet on Thursday to take final decision on the application filed by the political merger groups to be registered as the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to Chairman of INEC, said on Tuesday in Abuja that the commission's chairman and the commissioners would meet as empowered by the law to take the decision.

On June 12, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) submitted an interim application to INEC for the registration of APC.

Idowu said that the process of registration of the merger groups as APC was ongoing as there was no infringement of any provision of the law on the issue.

"The stipulated 30 days after the application for registration has not lapsed so the commission has not broken the law," he said. "As at today we are speaking the process is on, no law has been broken."

No independent candidates in 2015

On allowing an independent candidate in the 2015 general elections, as being suggested in the ongoing constitution review exercise, Idowu said it was not yet a law.

He said that since it was not in the Electoral Law, INEC as a political umpire, would not do anything that was unconstitutional.

"The law that we have now does not allow for independent candidates; it is not even on the radar, but if the law is amended to reflect participation of independent candidates, then it becomes a law," he said.