The election to choose new leaders of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, in Osun State was stalled on Saturday after members of the electoral committee expected to supervise the exercise failed to appear at the venue.
The election was scheduled to hold at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osogbo, where representatives of political parties had gathered in anticipation of the exercise.
By late morning, chairmen representing the 19 registered political parties in the state had arrived at the venue and signed an attendance register placed at the entrance of the INEC premises.
However, despite the early arrival of the party officials, the process failed to begin as officials of the electoral committee mandated to conduct the poll were absent.
The committee responsible for the exercise was drawn from the national secretariat of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, in Abuja.
Hours after the scheduled start time, party leaders and delegates remained at the venue waiting for the committee members, but no official explanation had been given for their absence.
Chairman of the Booth Party in the state, Prince Adesoji Masilo, said he arrived early at the venue only to discover that the officials expected to conduct the election were not present.
Masilo said, “I came to the INEC office early this morning, but the members of the committee assigned to conduct the election have not shown up.”
Attempts to obtain clarification from the national leadership of the council yielded little response.
The National Organising Secretary of IPAC, Chinyere Kalu, declined to disclose the reason for the delay when contacted, saying only that information would be provided later.
“We will communicate with you. Wait for us,” Kalu said.
Meanwhile, a representative of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Olusola Adeoye, who is contesting for the position of vice chairman in the state chapter of the council, expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding the process.
Adeoye said, “Two people are contesting for the position of chairman of Osun IPAC, Tosin Odeyemi of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and Victor Akande of the Accord Party. We have been here since about 10 a.m., but those expected to conduct the election have not arrived.”
DAILY POST gathered that the incumbent chairman of the council in the state, Akande, who also heads the Accord Party in Osun, is seeking another term in office, while some opposition parties, including the All Progressives Congress, APC, are backing Odeyemi for the position.
