Osun political parties reject IPAC caretaker committee appointment

Thirteen registered political parties in Nigeria's Osun State have collectively rejected the recent appointment of a caretaker committee for the state's Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC). IPAC serves as the umbrella body for opposition political parties.

Tosin Odeyemi, chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, speaking on behalf of the dissenting parties, labeled the caretaker committee's appointment a "joke taken too far." He highlighted the national IPAC body's inability to conduct elections for vacant positions after the previous chairman's tenure expired. Odeyemi noted that the election scheduled for March 14, 2026, was stalled due to the absence of mandated committee members.

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joke taken too far

Since the postponement, the parties claim there has been no further communication from the IPAC National Secretariat, leaving the state secretariat non-functional. "To our chagrin," Odeyemi stated, "the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), saddled with the responsibilities of promoting and sustaining a free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful electoral environment in Nigeria, turned itself into a willing tool in the hands of politicians."

The rejecting parties, including the Labour Party, African Democratic Congress, and Social Democratic Party, among others, questioned the constitutional basis for a caretaker committee, asserting that IPAC's constitution makes no provision for such an arrangement. They accused the national body of de-emphasizing tolerance and accommodation in favor of political expediency.

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National body of IPAC de-emphasised the values of tolerance, accommodation, and teamwork in the planning and organisation of political competition, all aimed at strengthening and deepening Nigeria’s democratic process, they went ahead, without carrying any stakeholders along, in putting in place a caretaker committee for Osun. This won’t stand