A new group of executives for the Osun State Inter-Party Advisory Council was chosen on Monday by fourteen of the twenty-two registered political parties.
Journalists watched the poll, which took place in Osogbo, the state capital, using affirmation.
Tosin Odeyemi, the head of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, became the new Osun IPAC chairman, and it resulted in a nine-member executive.
The African Democratic Congress’s Prof. Adigun Adepeju was elected as Deputy Chairman, the Action Alliance’s Araoye Kazeem as Secretary, the Zenith Labour Party’s Adesuyi Olufemi as Publicity Secretary, and the Labour Party’s Mustapha Muideen as Treasurer.
Waheed Adediran of the All Progressives Congress was chosen as the new Legal Advisor, and Dr. Gbenga Afeni of the National Rescue Movement was chosen as the new Organizing Secretary.
Adebayo Olasunkanmi of the Allied Peoples Movement was chosen as Deputy Secretary, and Tayo Adeyemi of the African Action Congress was chosen as Financial Secretary.
The chairmen of the Action Democratic Party (Toye Akinola), Nigeria Democratic Congress (Charles Omidiji), All Progressives Grand Alliance (Victor Olopade), Social Democratic Party (Funso Fabiyi), and National Democratic Party (Ezekiel Ayoola, who chaired the electoral committee) were also present at the election.
Odeyemi, the new Osun IPAC chairman, stated in his acceptance speech following the election that 16 of the 22 registered parties took part in the exercise and that they chose to take action after the IPAC’s national leadership was unable to fill the open posts in the state.
Stakeholders are worried about this void, especially as the gubernatorial election draws near. A crucial concern is raised by the lack of an operational IPAC: who will act as political parties’ official spokesperson in the meetings and discussions leading up to the election?
After thorough consultation, sixteen of the twenty-two registered political parties in Osun State felt that we shouldn’t let those who are yearning to join a political party take control of our collective council.
Thus, with our complete permission, this Executive Committee is established to act as a middleman between the electorate and the Political Parties. I want to thank my leaders and elders in Osun IPAC, as well as our National Executive Committee of IPAC, for this wonderful trust; I will never take it for granted,” Odeyemi remarked.
He stated that he was prepared to collaborate with other executive members, protect party interests, and enhance democratic government by active participation.
As previously reported, 13 registered political parties opposed the selection of a caretaker committee for the state’s Inter-Party Advisory Council, causing a crisis for IPAC.
Opposition political groups are united under IPAC.
The chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, Tosin Odeyemi, told reporters in Osogbo on behalf of the parties that rejected the caretaker committee that the alleged creation of a caretaker committee for Osun IPAC was “a joke taken too far.”
Odeyemi remembered how the IPAC national body was unable to hold elections for the open council seats in Osun following the term of the previous chairman, Victor Akande, who is also the Accord Party’s state chairman.
