Osun IPAC faction disowns members in Tinubu campaign council

A faction of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Osun State has disowned individuals listed as representatives of opposition political parties in the Osun Presidential Campaign Council for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu, led by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The faction said the individuals named as its members in the Presidential Campaign Council were not authorised by the group to represent it.

This was contained in a statement signed and released on Tuesday by leaders of 11 political parties with representatives in the state.

The parties that signed the statement are the Action Alliance, National Rescue Movement, Action Democratic Party, Nigerian Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party and National Democratic Party.

Others are the Democratic Leadership Alliance, African Action Congress, Labour Party, Zenith Labour Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance.

The group said an advertorial signed by Adeleke, in his capacity as coordinator of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council in Osun State, and published in a national daily, listed Odeleye Titus, Faribido Benson, Enorch Olalekan, Adetunji Olubunmi, Prince Adesoji Adeleke and Rev. Olatunji Popoola as IPAC representatives.

The faction, however, said the inclusion of the names in the campaign council’s list was misleading and could create confusion, insisting that the individuals had not been authorised to represent it on the committee.

“We wish to state categorically and for the record that the persons whose names were paraded as IPAC members in the said council are not our representatives, nor were they, at any point in time, nominated or authorised by the council to represent us in any capacity.

“IPAC is a structured body with duly recognised leadership and member political parties, and any representation must follow due process and official communication from our secretariat,” the council stated.

Dissociating itself from the list, the faction warned against using the IPAC platform to score political points or create what it described as a false impression of broad-based acceptance.

It urged Tinubu not to recognise the individuals listed as Osun IPAC representatives in the campaign council, claiming that its members had a strong grassroots presence across all local government areas and were the legitimate stakeholders in the group.

“We are the majority members of IPAC in Osun State with strong grassroots presence across all local governments, and any engagement with IPAC in the state should be through us,” the statement added.

The PUNCH earlier reported that 14 of the 22 registered political parties in Osun State elected a new set of executives for the Inter-Party Advisory Council in the state.

The election, held in Osogbo, the state capital, was conducted through affirmation and monitored by journalists.

It produced a nine-member executive, with the chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, Tosin Odeyemi, emerging as the new Osun IPAC chairman.

Others elected were Prof. Adigun Adepeju of the African Democratic Congress, who emerged as deputy chairman; Araoye Kazeem of the Action Alliance, secretary; Adesuyi Olufemi of the Zenith Labour Party, publicity secretary; and Mustapha Muideen of the Labour Party, treasurer.

Dr Gbenga Afeni of the National Rescue Movement was elected organising secretary, while Waheed Adediran of the All Progressives Congress emerged as legal adviser.

Tayo Adeyemi of the African Action Congress was elected financial secretary, while Adebayo Olasunkanmi of the Allied Peoples Movement emerged as deputy secretary.

Also in attendance at the election were the chairmen of the Action Democratic Party, Toye Akinola; Nigerian Democratic Congress, Charles Omidiji; All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Olopade; Social Democratic Party, Funso Fabiyi; and National Democratic Party, Ezekiel Ayoola, who chaired the electoral committee.w