Says perpetrators will be charged to court immediately, dismisses rumour of IPAC working for ruling party and urges residents to shun vote buying

The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ogun State, Comrade Abayomi Sanyaolu, has pledged that the council will ensure violence-free elections in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sanyaolu, who spoke in Abeokuta, said the forthcoming elections would be keenly contested, but stressed that IPAC was fully prepared to resist any attempt to incite violence across the state’s 236 wards.

He noted that the council is already working with security agencies, particularly the police, to ensure that perpetrators of electoral violence are arrested and promptly prosecuted, without interference from influential individuals.

According to him, the decision follows incidents of violence recorded during last year’s bye-election, including disruption of campaigns, ballot box snatching, and sporadic shootings, which he said must not be repeated in 2027.

Sanyaolu also dismissed claims that IPAC is working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the council remains an independent body committed to protecting the interests of all political parties in the state.

He added that no political party would be excluded from participating in the elections, noting that IPAC is working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a level playing field for all contestants.

Sanyaolu, who also serves as Chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the state, warned against vote buying, urging voters to resist financial inducements and exercise their franchise freely.

He cautioned that anyone involved in electoral malpractice would face legal consequences.

“We have a lot of plans to resist violence in the 2027 elections. If violence comes, it will be easy for us to tackle it. Just because you are in a different party does not mean you must fight or kill anyone. If I am in APM and you are in APC, let us campaign peacefully and allow people to vote,” he said.

“If anyone causes violence, we will take it up. If results are manipulated, we will challenge it and ensure it is nullified. We want Ogun State to be recorded as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.

“Read the Electoral Act. The problem usually comes from the masses, especially voters. That is why we are intensifying public awareness across the 236 wards on the need for violence-free elections.

“If there are defaulters, we will take them to court. They will not escape justice and may be jailed, because the Electoral Act speaks clearly on such offences. We will not accept interventions from influential individuals because of the damage caused.”