Christian Okeke writes on the denial of registration of the United Peoples Grand Alliance (UPGA) as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), its implications and the long wait for a possible reversal.ON 28 March, Chief Chekwas Okorie, in Abuja, announced the formation of what he termed a better and more sophisticated political machine, the United Peoples Grand Alliance (UPGA.) As he stated on that day, the constitution of UPGA, among other things, safeguards internal party democracy, level-playing field for all party members, discipline, accountability and periodic change of leadership at all levels through elections.Okorie further disclosed that the party's manifesto laid emphasis on the economic, political and social empowerment of the Nigerian masses in whom, he observed, the country's sovereignty resides.According to him, the symbol of the proposed party is the rising sun with the acronym, UPGA, written on the bar upon which the rising sun is rested, adding that the motto of UPGA is love and unity. Certainly, Okorie took time to unveil the constitution of UPGA. According to him, the ideology of the group is anchored on welfarism, liberalism and progressivism. He spoke on the plans already on ground for the new leadership of UPGA to embark on massive consultation and sensitisation of Nigerians at home and abroad before the formal launching of the party.From Okorie's exposition on that fateful day, an application was sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the registration of the group as a political party. In fact, he told the cheering crowd, as well as journalists that a reply had already been sent by the electoral body, even as Form PA1 and other supporting documents from the electoral body have been completed and returned to the commission and receipt duly acknowledged.Perhaps, one unique thing about the group was that it commenced operation as a political party on 18, April 2012 without approval by the electoral body and went ahead to set up state chapters nationwide in anticipation of INEC approval. In defending its action, UPGA leadership insisted that the decision to commence operation was in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, especially Section 78(3)(4).The 'bold' step to commence operation as a political party without approval was regardless of the protests against the application for the registration. Specifically, the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, petitioned the INEC and argued that electorate would be confused by the acronyms of United Peoples Grand Alliance (UPGA) and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), as he contended that the two acronyms sounded alike when pronounced. Throwing more light on why APGA moved to block UPGA's registration as a political party, the national director of publicity of APGA, Mr Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, said the party had two major grounds against the registration of UPGA. He recalled that the INEC had refused to register UPGA when approached in 2002 on the ground that there was already an acronym of such in an alliance in the First Republic. He said the commission, as a result, refused to register UPGA and the founders had to jettison UPGA and settled for APGA. Mr Oguejiofor hinted that what the founders wanted to register was UPGA and not APGA, but INEC refused. Besides, he alleged that the groups by pushing for the registration of UPGA, wanted to create confusion among the electorate. 'The moment you register a party that almost sounds like our APGA, the electorate will be confused. Some people pronounce APGA as UPGA; so, that is a conflict. Why should INEC, in the first place, argue that there was such acronym in the First Republic as UPGA and refused to register it only to turn round now to register same' If INEC said the party could not be registered then, why should it register it now'' he questioned. In a reaction, the leadership of UPGA described the protest as unwarranted. In a statement issued in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Chief Ogbuehi Dike, argued that the floating of UPGA was a final step taken by Okorie and his political associates to severe all links with APGA which, he said, was the party he founded in order to chart a new political course. According to him, the promoters of UPGA did their home work thoroughly before applying to the electoral commission for the registration of the party. He noted that due diligence was applied in complying with the guidelines issued to the party by INEC, maintaining that nobody has ever complained about any conflict in the identities of such parties with acronyms like ANPP and UNPP, CPP and CPC, PDP and DPP, ADC and ACD. He said that Okorie and his associates have not done anything unprecedented or unlawful to warrant the vituperation, panic, trepidation and paranoia of protests. 'Nigerians should watch out for a robust, focused and vibrant political party which will, in due course, take its place of pride among the major political parties in Nigeria,' he stated.As if in agreement with the arguments by UPGA and in disregard of the protest, INEC proceeded with the verification of the claims contained in the documents submitted by the UPGA leadership including its national headquarters. The INEC team, led by Mr Idris Aminu, met with members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the group. Many believed the step by INEC gave the leaders some confidence of sort, as all those who had a stake in the organisation remained optimistic.But in an apparent disappointment, however, on 24 April, about a week after it commenced functioning as a political party, UPGA got a letter from INEC, stating that it could not register it as a political party on the grounds that it failed to meet the requirements of the 1999 Constitution, as amended and the Electoral Act 2010 to warrant such registration. The concluding sentence in the letter reads, 'Consequently, the commission shall not register United Peoples Grand Alliance (UPGA) as a political party'.However, in a protest letter addressed to the commission, the national chairman of the group, Okorie, argued that the letter was belated as it came when the group had become a political party by what he described as the effluxion of time. He attempted to prove INEC wrong. In the letter addressed to the commission's chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, it read: 'You pointed out that we described our symbol/logo as Early Morning Sun in Article 3 of UPGA Constitution. This does not in any way have ethnic connotation. This is also not similar to the logo of the defunct Biafra and MASSOB.'We are not aware that the symbols of the defunct Biafra and MASSOB are registered anywhere for anybody to be able to make a fair assessment of the similarities of these symbols with that of UPGA. Instead, we are aware that Biafra and MASSOB are not political parties in Nigeria,' he wrote.Okorie further said: 'There is no time the INEC rejected the registration of United Progressive Grand Alliance. What happened was that INEC amended its guidelines for political party registration to include that no name or symbol used before by a political party, political association, alliance, or cooperate body should be used again.'There are political parties on INEC Register with the following acronyms; ANPP/UNPP, PDP/DPP, CPC/CPP, ACD/ACN, PPA/PPN etc. The commission never encountered any clash of identity or confusion among the electorate in respect of the parties with the above mentioned acronyms in all the elections that the commission had conducted over the years.'Speaking on the next line of action, Okorie hinted that the group was still exploring the option of dialogue with the INEC. Although he ruled out legal option against the commission, he said that if the efforts to make the electoral umpire see reason fails, then he and his associates would consider floating another party. It is left to be seen whether INEC would make a u-turn to register UPGA as a political party. It is also left to be seen if Chief Okorie and his associates would abandon UPGA and float yet another party, this time being extra careful not to incur the wrath of the electoral umpire the second time.
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