– Says He Wants No Further Part in the Saga
THE intrigues surrounding ownership claims of opposition parties to the acronym ‘APC’ took yet another odd turn on Friday, as a young lawyer is now speaking out about being conned into filing papers for the registration of the African People’s Congress with the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Mr. Chinedu Samuel Nwokorie, a 2011 graduate of the Nigerian Law School in Bwari, Abuja, spoke to newsmen from his hideout in the capital city, saying he has been overwhelmed with phone calls about his role in the unfolding saga of party registration.
Three groups have so far laid claim to the disputed acronym, including the more prominent All Progressives Congress, alongside the African Peoples Congress and All Patriotic Citizens, setting off a firestorm between the contending groups.
Mr. Nwokorie said he was approached last February by Ugochinyere Ikenga, whom the African Peoples Congress presented as its acting chair, to seek his professional services in getting his group registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission.
Nwokorie said he was initially paid 30,000 naira for his services, with an additional 50,000 later issued him. In addition to the sums of money paid him was a gift of a new Samsung Galaxy mobile phone, all issued to him by the said acting chairman Ikenga.
“Ugochinyere Ikenga approached me sometime in February 2013 to put in an application for the registration of a political party by name African Peoples Congress,” Nwokorie said, expressing regrets and denying that he was a politician of any sort.
“He paid me an initial sum of N30,000 and later added another N50,000 and a Samsung Galaxy phone after I had filed the papers, with a promise that he was going to settle me after the party must have been registered.
“I filed the application in the honest belief that it was just another political party because even the application I entered at INEC only bears the name African Peoples Congress. The acronym APC was not included in the application.
“So there was no way I could have visualize, whether or not there was an ulterior motive in the registration of that political party. I was, however, surprised to see my name all over the newspapers, including the a sample of the application letter I wrote to INEC.
“I wish to let Nigerians know that I am not a politician in anyway whatsoever. I regret the issues at hand and the dimension the entire thing is taking.”
The young lawyer said he had expressed his concerns to Ugochinyere Ikenga, following the uproar generated by the emergence of the African Peoples Congress, but the latter kept reassuring him that all was well and that he had nothing to fear.
“He keeps telling me not to worry, that I should be a man and that he would handle the matter. He also said that the real owners of the party would soon be revealed to Nigerians.
“Once again, I want to tell Nigerians that I just took a brief as a young lawyer and it ended there. I don’t know the sponsors of the party. The only person I know is Ugochinyere Ikenga, who gave me the brief.
“I got to know Ikenga through a friend. I thought it wise to come out and tell Nigerians the entire story because I keep receiving calls all-day through. My major concern now is my letter head, which is in the custody of INEC.
A graduate of Buea University in Cameroun, Mr. Nwokorie said he served out his year of the National Youth Court Service between 2005 and 2006 after which he studied at the University of Lagos where he obtained a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy.
Meanwhile sources reveal that the Independent National Electoral Commission is conducting its own investigations into the matter to make sure there is no foul play by African Peoples Congress. Application papers by the body are being reviewed to make sure all the rules were followed.
However the political parties that joined together to present themselves as All Progressive Congress, including the Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change, said on Friday that they are going forward with their plans to emerge as a formidable opposition to the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party.