We don’t adopt candidates, insists IPAC

The umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has dissociated itself from the purported adoption of the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), in Ogun State, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade.

This reaction is coming on the heels of stories making rounds that Ogun State Chapter of IPAC on Thursday adopted a governorship candidate during the party’s flag-off in Abeokuta, the state capital.

IPAC’s National Media Committee Secretary, Akinloye Oyeniyi, debunked the purported adoption and warned state chapters against dragging the body into such unnecessary mess or risk being dissolved by the national secretariat.

He stated: “We have gotten report of what transpired in Ogun State today and necessary redress is ongoing. The national secretariat has spoken to the state Chairman, Abayomi Arabambi, and his Assistant Secretary, Obasanjo Obasesan, and they have both denied carrying out such act.

“IPAC is the parent body for the entire 91 registered political parties in Nigeria where ideas on how to better enhance, coordinate, engage and moderate the nation’s political atmosphere in a drive to better the electoral system and promote equality amongst the political parties that will lead to a very transparent, free, fair, credible and non-violent politics.

“IPAC is not a political party, but the home of all political parties and  their candidates. So, on the purported adoption in Abeokuta, the National Chairman, High Chief Peter Ameh, already directed that an official rebuttal be immediately issued by the Ogun State Chapter in that regard or face sanction, for it is against the principles and letters of the Political Parties Code of Conduct.”

The disturbed national body also reiterated that member parties are free to pursue different political interests but should not allow it to rob on others interest by wrongfully dragging IPAC into any selfish-driven agenda.

On measures that have been put in place to forestall such incident in the future, Oyeniyi said, the national secretariat, as always, “is sounding the warning again that it will not hesitate to dissolve any state executives found to have indulged or intend to engage in this kind of adoption of any candidates both running foul of ideals of IPAC.”