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The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Nasarawa State chapter, has called on political parties and their members to embrace tolerance, dialogue, and peaceful engagement, stressing that politics should be viewed as a call to service rather than warfare.
The state IPAC Chairman, Hon. Danlami Muhammed Musa, stated this on Saturday during the grand unveiling and fundraising ceremony for the proposed N500 million permanent IPAC Secretariat in Lafia.
Musa said the secretariat project was conceived to strengthen democratic institutions, promote political tolerance and provide a neutral platform where political parties and other stakeholders could engage in constructive dialogue.
“Politics is not war, but service,” he said, stressing that political actors should use democratic platforms to debate ideas, resolve disagreements and work towards good governance.
The IPAC chairman said the council had over the years contributed to mediating political disagreements, advising stakeholders and promoting peaceful political participation in Nasarawa State, despite operating without a permanent secretariat.
He said the proposed secretariat would serve as a resource centre for political education and civic engagement, a conference hub for dialogue among political parties and stakeholders, as well as a symbol of unity and peaceful political participation.
According to him, all registered political parties in the state had come together to support the project, describing the initiative as an important step towards strengthening democratic development in Nasarawa.
Musa also called for stronger cooperation among political parties, urging them to respect democratic principles and accept electoral outcomes in the spirit of the rules of the game.
“These are no mean duties and without the cooperation of political parties they cannot be achieved and the victim will be our democracy,” he said.
He described political parties as “the pillars upon which liberal democracy is built”, adding that their ability to work together despite ideological and partisan differences was essential to the survival of democracy.
The IPAC chairman appealed to government officials, political parties, business leaders, philanthropists, organisations and individuals to contribute towards the N500 million project.
“Let’s record that in 2026, we laid the foundation for a stronger democratic future in Nasarawa State,” Musa said.
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Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State Chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Dr Mohammed Suleiman Awwal, donated N500,000 towards the construction of the IPAC Secretariat.
Awwal said the donation was made on behalf of himself, his family and the people of Toto Local Government Area in support of the project.
He expressed optimism that the secretariat would provide a platform capable of bringing political parties together as one family, irrespective of their political differences.
The APM chairman commended Musa for initiating what he described as a “gigantic and laudable project” and urged other political parties, government officials, organisations and well-meaning individuals to support the initiative.
He said a befitting IPAC Secretariat would promote dialogue, cooperation and peaceful political engagement, thereby contributing to the consolidation of democracy in Nasarawa State.
Also speaking at the event, Prof. George A. Genyi of the Department of Political Science, Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA), called for stronger political institutions and effective cooperation among political parties to consolidate democratic governance.
Genyi, who presented a paper titled “Strengthening Democracy: Building a Befitting Secretariat for Political Parties in Nasarawa State,” said political parties remained central to democratic development.
He stressed the need for an environment that encourages constructive political engagement, tolerance and respect for democratic rules.
The political science scholar also described the proposed IPAC Secretariat as an important institutional platform for coordinating political party activities and promoting dialogue among stakeholders.
He urged political actors to place the interest of democracy and the people above partisan considerations, saying peaceful political competition and mutual respect were essential for sustainable democratic development.
The ceremony was attended by Governor Abdullahi A. Sule, Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, who served as chairman of the occasion, traditional rulers, former governors, serving and aspiring members of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, political party chairmen, captains of industry, philanthropists and members of the media.
