IPAC Leadership Election in Osun Stalled as Electoral Committee Fails to Appear

The election to choose new leaders of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Osun State was stalled on Saturday after members of the electoral committee expected to supervise the exercise failed to appear at the venue.

The election was scheduled to take place at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osogbo, where representatives of political parties had gathered in anticipation of the exercise.

By late morning, chairmen representing the 19 registered political parties in the state had arrived and signed the attendance register placed at the entrance of the INEC premises.

However, despite the early arrival of party officials, the process could not commence as members of the electoral committee mandated to conduct the poll were absent.

The committee assigned to supervise the exercise was drawn from the national secretariat of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Abuja.

Several hours after the scheduled start time, party leaders and delegates remained at the venue waiting for the committee members, while no official explanation had been provided for their absence.

Chairman of the Booth Party in the state, Adesoji Masilo, said he arrived early at the venue only to discover that the officials expected to conduct the election were not present.

“I came to the INEC office early this morning, but the members of the committee assigned to conduct the election have not shown up,” Masilo said.

Attempts to obtain clarification from the national leadership of the council yielded little response.

The National Organising Secretary of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Chinyere Kalu, declined to disclose the reason for the delay when contacted, stating only that further information would be communicated later.

“We will communicate with you. Wait for us,” Kalu said.

Meanwhile, a representative of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Olusola Adeoye, who is contesting for the position of vice chairman in the state chapter of the council, expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the process.

Adeoye disclosed that two candidates are contesting for the chairmanship position of Osun IPAC — Tosin Odeyemi of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Victor Akande of the Accord Party.

“We have been here since about 10 a.m., but those expected to conduct the election have not arrived,” Adeoye said.

It was gathered that the incumbent chairman of the council in the state, Akande, who also heads the Accord Party in Osun, is seeking another term in office, while some opposition parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), are backing Odeyemi for the position.