By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has warned political parties and government institutions against using state machinery to manipulate Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State, insisting that no candidate should gain an unfair advantage because of access to governmental structures.
The council said whoever emerges must do so through the freely expressed choice of Osun voters, rather than intimidation, manipulation, inducement or the deployment of public institutions against political opponents.
IPAC National Chairman, Dr Yusuf M. Dantalle, gave the warning in Abuja on Monday after the council’s General Assembly reviewed the political situation ahead of the August 15 poll and called for a free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful election.
“Government institutions belong to the people and must remain institutions of the State, not instruments of partisan political competition,” Dantalle said.
He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to lower the political temperature, warning against inflammatory statements, threats, provocation and actions capable of disrupting the peace in the state.
“The language of political engagement must be the language of persuasion, tolerance and democratic competition; not confrontation, threats or intimidation,” he added.
IPAC condemned electoral violence, political thuggery, intimidation and vote buying, urging candidates to distance themselves from violent groups and compete on the basis of their ideas, programmes, records and vision.
“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,” the council said.
On the conduct of the election, IPAC charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain professional, independent, transparent and impartial, urging it to ensure timely delivery of electoral materials, proper training of officials, transparent voting and accurate collation and declaration of results.
The council also called on security agencies to protect voters, candidates, party agents, electoral officials and election materials without discrimination.
“Security personnel must not become instruments for suppressing legitimate political activities or intimidating voters,” IPAC warned.
It urged political parties and candidates to accept legitimate results and pursue genuine grievances through lawful channels, stressing that the integrity of the election would depend on every stage of the process, from campaigns and voting to counting, collation 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 said.
IPAC appealed to Osun voters to remain peaceful, protect their Permanent Voter’s Cards and resist attempts to use them for political violence.
It also urged the media, civil society groups, traditional and religious leaders to promote responsible citizenship and avoid actions or reports capable of inflaming tensions.
The council further criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of Osun State Government accounts, describing the action as politically motivated and urging the agency to pursue investigations without crippling the administration of the state.
Dantalle said IPAC’s overriding interest was the survival of democracy, rather than the victory of any particular party.
“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.
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