Breaking: IPAC Pulls Out Of Local Government Elections In Osun

-Says It Has Lost Confidence In Commission’s Chairman

By Rafiu Agboola, Osogbo

The inter-Party advisory council, an umbrella body of all political parties in Osun State said it will not participate in the forthcoming local Government election in the State.

Recall that Chairman of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) had fixed February February 22, 2025, for the conduct of the local Government election in the state.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo, on Monday, State Chairman of IPAC, Victor Akande said this became imperative because the Council has lost confidence in the Chairman of the Commission, Ashim Abioye.

Victor Akande alleged that Ashim Abioye has perfected plans to use members of the PDP as electoral officers during the election slated for next year February.

According to him, the Council expected up-to-date information from the Commission ahead of the election but reverse is the case, alleging that the Peoples Democratic Party in the State is intentionally creating avenue for crisis in the State to scare people away.

“When Governor Ademola Adeleke of submitted the name of a card-carrying
member of his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Hassim Abioye, to the rubber-stamped House of Assembly for confirmation as the Chairman, Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) on November, 2023, we vehemently kicked against it.

“Our position then, as Osun chapter of IPAC, was that Abioye is not legally fit to conduct free, fair and credible local government election in Osun.

“We opposed the brazen imposition of Abioye as OSSIEC umpire as he was
Adeleke’s Senior Special Assistant on Legal Matters then.

“Earlier this year, Abioye invited us to the headquarters of OSSIEC in Osogbo
where we made known our reservations for the February 22, 2025 council
election and he thereafter pledged his allegiance to protect his integrity and
promised not to disappoint us.

“But Alas, the leopard in him that cannot change its spots roared as we
watched him deviating from all his promises of conducting a reliable election in the state.

“We have reliably gathered that Abioye has perfected plans to use PDP
members as Electoral Officers during the election which we all know what it means.

“His intention is to trap us into conducting our parties’ primary elections without disclosing the amount each party will pay which will, of course, lead to efforts in futility after announcing exorbitant fee.

“We expected up to date information from Abioye as been done by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but reverse is the case as we always have information about Osun local government election from PDP
e-rats.

“We found it convenient to say that the PDP-led administration in the state is
intentionally creating avenues for crisis all over so as to scare our people away from the forthcoming council election as only a secured mind will have courage
of going out to vote for his/her choice.

”One of us, NNPP, that earlier written intention letter for his party’s primary
election has withdrawn the letter because we realized no good thing can come out of Abioye, who is Governor Adeleke’s stooge’s, OSIEC.

“It is on these notes that we resolved, after deliberations with our parties’
members, to BACK OUT of the forthcoming local government election in Osun state.

“Political parties involved in this include Action Alliance, African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Social Democratic Party, African Action Congress, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Allied Peoples Party and the Peoples Redemption Party.

“Others are, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Zenith Labour Party, Action
Democratic Party, Action Peoples Party, Labour Party, Boot Party, National
Rescue Movement and Young Peoples Party.

“We await the credibility in the poll involving only Peoples Democratic Party”.