APC extends deadline for sale and submission of forms
Acting national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress Yekini Nabena
• Says Purchase Of N45 Million Form For Buhari In Line With Electoral Act
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced an extension of the deadline for the sale and submission of presidential, governorship, National Assembly and House of Assembly forms.The sale and submission of the forms was initially to end on Monday, September 10, but the party has extended the deadline to Tuesday, September 11.
A statement by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, yesterday, said: “All aspirants for the listed positions are to submit their duly completed forms to the APC national secretariat and the party’s state secretariat in the case of House of Assembly on or before the close of work of the new deadline.”
Meanwhile, the party has defended the legality of the procurement of the N45 million Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for President Muhammadu Buhari by the Nigeria Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN) for next years election.
Nabena, in a statement, faulted reports calling on Buhari to reject the forms on the basis that the processes involved in their procurement were in breach of Section 91 (9) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
Insisting that NCAN acted within the confines of the law in the procurement of the forms, the party urged the media outfit involved to restrain itself from such sensational reportage and avail its team with good legal advice before rushing to conclusion based on erroneous legal grounds.The party argued that if a former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, could enjoy the same gesture from his supporters, who purchased the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms for the presidential election for him, there was nothing wrong with NCAN doing the same for Buhari.
It noted: “Aside from the fact that there is a world of difference between an ‘aspirant’ and a ‘candidate’ in the eyes of the law, there has been no contravention of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). “NCAN was responsible for the purchase of the Presidential Form for Buhari and has indicated that it acted as a collection medium to aggregate micro contributions from thousands of Nigerians keen to ensure his re-election.
“While we restate that as a political party, the APC mandates observance and compliance with the dictates of the law, we also acknowledge that this singular act by thousands of Nigerians severely jolted the ranks of opposition politicians and their paid agents in the media; hence their desperate attempt to tar such a noble gesture with the brush of illegality.”
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