INEC Rejects PPA’s Change of Name

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has rejected the change in name by the Progressive Peoples Alliance PPA to All Progressive Peoples Alliance APPA. In a letter which was signed by the Secretary to the Commission Mrs A.C Ogakwu and addressed to the National Chairman of PPA, Chief Sam Nkire, INEC said the new name/acronym was similar in appearance and pronouncement to those of two existing registered political parties.
The letter gave the names of the two parties as All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA and the African Peoples Alliance APA. In the opinion of the Commission the name change by PPA offends section 82(2)(C) of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended). According to INEC, PPA also breached procedure by not registering the alterations to the PPA constitution which led to the name change, within thirty (30) days as stipulated by section 222(d) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).
The letter however acknowledged the election of Mr Vitalis Ajumbe as National Publicity Secretary of the party at its National Convention, during which it changed its name from PPA to APPA.
When contacted, the PPA National Chairman Sam Nkire said the development was no doubt a set-back for the party. He however said the leadership of the party would soon meet to decide whether to go to court, choose yet another name or revert to the party’s old name PPA.