THE United Progressive Party (UPP), one of the Nigeria’s opposition party has merged with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
A statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the former National Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie said the decision to join the ruling party was reached at the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC), Board of Trustees (BoT) and other stakeholders held on Thursday.
The party was among 74 parties recently de-registered by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
READ THE FULL STATEMENT
The National Executive Committee (NEC) including the Board of Trustees (BOT) and other stakeholders of the United Progressive Party (UPP) met on Thursday 20th February 2020, in an Extraordinary Meeting at the Party’s National Secretariat, Abuja.
We reviewed the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in de-registering UPP along with 73 other Political Parties.
We resolved not to challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission in the Court of law. We, however commend the Political Parties that have opted for the Court option, knowing that it is within their constitutional right to approach the Courts for judicial intervention.
We reviewed a number of options available to us including the hand of fellowship extended to our Party by some of the Political Parties that survived the INEC onslaught.
However, after considering the fact that on the 17th August 2018, our Party’s National Executive Committee opted to support President Muhammadu Buhari in his bid for his second term in the 2019 Presidential election unconditionally, during which time, our members across the country were directed to campaign for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This directive was carried out without a single dissenting voice from any segment of the Party nationwide.
In view of our present circumstances, our Party resolved unanimously that the most logical follow up to our earlier chosen political trajectory would be to collapse all our structures from the Ward to the National level into the All Progressives Congress. We have therefore directed our members at all levels to proceed to register as members of APC at their various Wards of origin or the Wards where they are resident.
Before arriving at this final decision, we consulted widely, not only among ourselves but with the leaders and stakeholders of the APC where we have been assured of a warm welcome and equal opportunities available to all bona fide members of the ruling Party.
UPP was registered on 2nd October 2012, and for nearly eight years of its existence, we exhibited the highest level of internal Party democracy, discipline and cohesion. In this number of years, UPP never experienced any factionalization at any of the levels of the Party’s administration and structure.
We urge our members to exhibit this commendable character disposition in the APC so that we shall stand out as disciplined members of the APC who will be known for our contribution to the growth of the Party.
In the next few weeks we shall present ourselves formally to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress along with other Political Parties who are similarly inclined.
CHIEF DR. CHEKWAS OKORIE
Former National Chairman, UPP
