IPAC Rejects Vote Buying, Warns Against Manipulation of Osun Guber Poll

• Council raises alarm over killings, insecurity, intimidation ahead of August 15 election

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the umbrella body of registered political parties in Nigeria, has rejected vote buying and other forms of electoral inducement ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, warning political parties and candidates against attempting to purchase the mandate of the electorate.

The council also raised concerns over the deteriorating political atmosphere in the state, including insecurity, violence, intimidation and the alleged deployment of state institutions and security apparatus to suppress political opponents and influence voters.

Speaking in Abuja Monday after the IPAC General Assembly meeting on the political situation in Osun State, its National Chairman, Dr. Yusuf M. Dantalle, said the August 15 election must be determined solely by the freely expressed will of the people.

Dantalle, who addressed journalists in company with chairmen of the various political parties, declared that the people of Osun must be allowed to choose their governor without intimidation, harassment, inducement, violence, manipulation or undue interference.

According to him, political parties and candidates must compete on the basis of their ideas, programmes, records and vision for the development of the state rather than through financial inducement of voters.

“The vote of every Nigerian is sacred. No citizen should be compelled, induced or coerced to exchange his or her vote for money, gifts, material benefits or political favours,” he said.

IPAC’s position came against the backdrop of heightened political tension in Osun ahead of the governorship poll, with the council warning that political competition must not degenerate into political warfare.

Dantalle urged all parties, candidates, supporters and campaign organisations to reject violence, political thuggery, intimidation, harassment and provocative rhetoric, stressing that no political victory would be meaningful if obtained in an atmosphere of fear.

“There can be no winner in an election conducted in an atmosphere of violence, fear and intimidation,” he said.

The council called for the immediate de-escalation of political tension in the state, urging political leaders to demonstrate restraint and statesmanship and ensure that ordinary citizens do not bear the consequences of political disagreements.

IPAC also expressed concern about the role of state institutions in the electoral process, warning against the use of public resources, governmental machinery and security agencies to intimidate political opponents, suppress legitimate political activities or influence voters.

The council specifically condemned what it described as the use or abuse of state institutions to manipulate the electoral process, insisting that government agencies belong to the people and must not become instruments of partisan political competition.

“No political party or candidate should enjoy an institutional advantage merely because it controls governmental structures,” Dantalle said.

IPAC also criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of accounts belonging to the Osun State Government, describing the action as politically motivated and potentially capable of disrupting governance and punishing innocent citizens.

While acknowledging the need for investigations into alleged financial impropriety, the council argued that such investigations could be conducted without depriving the state government of access to funds required to pay salaries and provide essential services.

It urged the EFCC to exercise caution, professionalism and restraint, stressing that the fight against corruption must be pursued within the framework of due process and respect for citizens’ welfare.

On the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), IPAC demanded the highest level of professionalism, independence, transparency and impartiality in the conduct of the election.

The council urged the commission to ensure that eligible voters are not obstructed or intimidated, electoral materials arrive on time, officials are properly trained and results are accurately collated and transparently announced in accordance with the law.

It equally charged security agencies deployed for the election to remain strictly neutral and professional, warning them against becoming instruments of voter suppression or political intimidation.

Dantalle said security personnel must protect voters, candidates, party agents, electoral officials and election materials without discrimination.

He also appealed to political parties and candidates to accept legitimate electoral outcomes while seeking redress through lawful channels where genuine disputes arise.

The council urged the judiciary to remain independent and impartial in resolving electoral disputes, while advising political actors against resorting to violence, self-help or other extra-legal measures.

IPAC further appealed to the people of Osun State to remain peaceful and vigilant, urging them to protect their permanent voter cards (PVCs) and vote according to their conscience.

The council stressed that the integrity of the election would not be measured only by the casting of ballots, but by the credibility of the entire electoral cycle, including campaigns, accreditation, voting, counting, collation, declaration of results and dispute resolution.

“The ballot belongs to the people. The electoral process belongs to the people. And the outcome must reflect the will of the people,” Dantalle declared.

He urged the media, civil society organisations, traditional rulers and religious leaders to contribute to a peaceful electoral environment through responsible reporting, independent monitoring and peace advocacy.

Dantalle said the August 15 poll offered Nigeria another opportunity to demonstrate that its democracy could produce elections in which the will of the people prevails.

“Let the votes of the people count. Let the votes be counted accurately. Let the results reflect the votes. Let the will of the people prevail,” he said.

IPAC, he added, would continue to advocate an election free from violence, intimidation, vote buying and manipulation, insisting that the people of Osun State must ultimately determine who governs them.