Odeyemi Emerges Osun IPAC Chairman Ahead of Governorship Election

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Osun State has inaugurated a new nine-member executive committee, with Dr. Tosin Odeyemi emerging as chairman ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The inauguration, held in Osogbo on Monday, was attended by representatives of 15 registered political parties in the state, who endorsed the new leadership to fill what they described as a leadership vacuum within the council.

The political parties present were the Action Alliance (AA), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), National Democratic Party (NDP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Speaking after his inauguration, Odeyemi said the decision to constitute a new executive became necessary following the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past executive led by Pastor Victor Akande.

He explained that IPAC, established in 2006 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was created to promote peaceful coexistence among political parties, deepen democracy and encourage free, fair and credible elections.

According to him, the election scheduled for March 14, 2026, to elect a new executive could not hold because members of the electoral committee expected to conduct the exercise were unavailable.

He added that although the National Organising Secretary of IPAC, Mrs. Chinyere O. Kalu, subsequently informed stakeholders that the election had been postponed, no fresh date had been announced.

Odeyemi said the prolonged vacuum in the leadership of the council had become a source of concern, especially with the governorship election drawing near.

He noted that the absence of a functional IPAC leadership had created uncertainty over who would officially represent political parties in consultations and engagements with electoral authorities and other stakeholders ahead of the poll.

According to him, after extensive consultations, the participating political parties resolved not to allow the council to remain without leadership at such a critical period.

“We have, with the consent of member parties, inaugurated this executive committee to serve as the intermediary between political parties, the electorate and relevant democratic institutions,” he said.

Odeyemi appreciated the national leadership of IPAC and party leaders in Osun State for the confidence reposed in the new executive, assuring them that the committee would operate with fairness, transparency and inclusiveness.

He pledged that the new leadership would work closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), security agencies and civil society organisations to ensure a peaceful, credible and transparent governorship election.

Other members of the executive are Prof. (Mrs.) Adigun Oyewole of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as Deputy Chairman; Araoye Kazeem of the Action Alliance (AA) as Secretary; Adesuyi Olufemi of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) as Publicity Secretary; Mustapha Muideen of the Labour Party (LP) as Treasurer; Dr. Gbenga Afeni of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) as Organising Secretary; Waheed Adediran of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Legal Adviser; Tayo Adeyemi of the African Action Congress (AAC) as Financial Secretary; and Adebayo Olasunkanmi of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) as Deputy Secretary.