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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Chairmen of several registered political parties in Osun State have rejected the composition of a Caretaker Executive Committee for the state chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) announced by the national leadership.
The aggrieved chairmen, led by the Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Dr. Tosin Odeyemi, described the appointment purportedly authorized by IPAC National Chairman Dr. Yusuf Dantalle and National Secretary Barr. Maxwell Mgbudem as “a joke taken too far.”
Recalling that the tenure of IPAC led by Accord Party State Chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, expired in February, the group noted that the national body struggled to conduct a proper IPAC election .
They recalled that the election originally scheduled for March 14, 2026, was stalled because the committee members mandated to oversee the process were absent.
According to the group, the National Organizing Secretary, Chinyere O. Kalu, subsequently announced a postponement, promising a new date in due course.
“Since then, there has been no further communication from the IPAC National Secretariat. The state secretariat is non-functional, leaving us with nowhere to direct official correspondence,” the chairmen stated.
The coalition expressed dismay that IPAC, an organization established to promote free, fair, credible, and inclusive democratic environments, had allegedly allowed itself to be manipulated by political interests.
They accused the national body of sidelining local stakeholders and bypassing teamwork to impose a biased caretaker committee.
“Eight out of nine members of the national IPAC executive forced certain Osun party chairmen into a skewed Caretaker Committee while neglecting others,” the group alleged.
Addressing the national body’s claim that the committee was formed due to “political tension” in Osun ahead of the August 15 governorship election, the chairmen pushed back against the narrative.
They noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the official electoral umpire, had raised no such concerns about the state’s security.
“Our National Executive Committee claimed they resolved to defer the IPAC election until conditions are conducive. Who informed them we are fighting From whose perspective are conditions not conducive? We know their game, but Osun is different. Even those they appointed to the caretaker committee know this blatant bias cannot stand,” they asserted.
The party leaders also questioned the constitutional basis for a caretaker arrangement, emphasizing that the IPAC Constitution makes no provision for such a setup. They further criticized the timing, pointing out that the national body remained silent for months while the Osun gubernatorial election approached.
The coalition specifically faulted the choice of Action Peoples Party (APP) State Chairman, Odesola Oluseyi Titus, to head the caretaker committee, alleging that the appointee’s party has uncomfortably close ties to the ruling party in the state.
“If the National Executive Committee finds it too difficult to conduct an election for just 22 members, do we have the moral right to blame INEC for any perceived electoral failures in Nigeria?” the chairmen queried.
Reiterating their demands, the group insisted that Osun State requires a free, fair, and inclusive democratic election for its IPAC leadership.
Declaring the caretaker committee illegal and dead on arrival, they demanded immediate resignation of the national executive members for gross incompetence and insensitivity.
