We are hopeful of INEC registration, ANN assures members

• Preaches peaceful national co existence
A new political association, The Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) has assured its members that it is hopeful that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would register it.

The association’s National Coordinator, who is a Harvard-trained medical doctor, Dr. Jay Osi Samuels disclosed this in an interview with newsmen.

He said there was no basis to worry, saying ANN, which is made up of professionals and technocrats, was on the verge of meeting the requirements for registration as a political party.

The coordinator said the assurance became necessary to inform its teeming members, who expressed worry that the ANN was not part of the recently registered five political parties.

He explained that the five newly registered five political parties had been on their registration process since last year, hence they were the first batch to be announced by INEC.

“Our members have nothing to worry about. We are confident of being registered as a political party. Our name, acronym and slogan have been approved and these are major steps towards being registered. Those who have just been registered have been on it since last year.

“Therefore, our name would soon be announced as a registered political party after the necessary documentation has been concluded,” he said.

Samuels added that INEC is under statutory obligation to register any association or group that meets the criteria of being registered as a political party.

He advised the members to relax and continue to spread the message of “technoticianism”, which is the ideology of the group.

Meanwhile, the group has called for peaceful coexistence among the nation’s ethnic groups.

Reacting to a recent ultimatum given by Arewa youth groups to Igbo to leave the northern part of the country, Samuels said while the ANN understands the ethnic emotions that often rule the country, war mongering and mutual suspicions amongst the nation’s ethnic groups have remained the ill-winds that would blow no one any good.