Odesola Oluseye Titus, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Osun State Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to dismiss Dr Tosin Odeyemi’s claims to represent the council.
Titus told journalists on Saturday that latest findings called Odeyemi’s claim to IPAC membership into question, and that he lacked the legal right to speak or act on the council’s behalf.
According to Odesola, “Odeyemi is not affiliated with any recognised political party,” and his withdrawal from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) eliminated his eligibility to participate in IPAC matters.
He claimed that there was no record of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), as Odeyemi described himself, on INEC’s webpage.
“It has been proven that Odeyemi has no legal capacity to represent or be a member of IPAC, nor is he linked with any registered political party.
“The charge of prejudice by the IPAC National Secretariat is false. He ran against the Accord’s previous chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, under the NNPP banner, but neither was elected. His claim is incorrect. “His interest is to lead at any cost,” he explained.
He praised the IPAC National Secretariat for forming a caretaker committee for the Osun chapter, saying it insured there would be no leadership vacuum ahead of the upcoming governorship election.
Odesola invited other political parties to join him in bringing Osun IPAC ahead, assuring them and other stakeholders that IPAC’s activities in Osun State would continue uninterrupted as preparations for the August 15 governorship election advanced.
The caretaker committee chairman advised INEC to reject any representation made by Odeyemi, stating that “misrepresentation must be condoned. IPAC is still committed to transparency and accountability, and we demand strict adherence to established legal procedures to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.”
He also urged political parties, media organisations, and members of the public to remain watchful, stating that only duly authorised individuals should speak on behalf of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Osun State.
Earlier on Saturday, a rival section of political party leaders accused IPAC’s national leadership of bias and ineptitude, calling for the National Executive Committee’s immediate resignation.
During a news conference in Osogbo, the faction urged INEC to halt official relations with the Osun chapter of IPAC until a substantive state executive is elected before the governorship election.
Speaking on behalf of the organization, Dr. Tosin Odeyemi, who identified himself as the Acting Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) in Osun State, rejected the caretaker committee recently formed by the IPAC national leadership, calling its formation illegal.