Fourteen registered political parties in Osun State have elected a new nine-member executive committee for a faction of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), deepening a leadership dispute within the umbrella body ahead of the state’s gubernatorial election. The election, conducted by affirmation in Osogbo, produced Tosin Odeyemi, chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), as the faction’s chairman, while Professor Adigun Adepeju of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) emerged as deputy chairman.
Other officers include Araoye Kazeem of the Action Alliance (AAC) as secretary, Adesuyi Olufemi of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) as publicity secretary, and Mustapha Muideen of the Labour Party (LP) as treasurer. Dr Gbenga Afeni of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) was elected organising secretary, Waheed Adediran of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as legal adviser, Tayo Adeyemi of the African Action Congress (AAC) as financial secretary, and Adebayo Olasunkanmi of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) as deputy secretary. The electoral committee was chaired by Ezekiel Ayoola of the National Democratic Party (NDP).
In his acceptance speech, Odeyemi said 16 of the 22 registered political parties in the state participated in the process. He explained that the decision to constitute a new executive followed the failure of IPAC’s national leadership to fill vacant positions in Osun, creating a vacuum that stakeholders fear could undermine party engagement ahead of the governorship poll. “This vacuum is causing concern among stakeholders, particularly with the gubernatorial election approaching. The absence of a functioning IPAC raises a critical question: who will serve as the official mouthpiece for political parties in the engagements and consultations preceding the election?” Odeyemi said.
He added that the participating parties felt the council should not be “hijacked by those desperate to put us in the coven of a political party.” The new executive, he pledged, would serve as an intermediary between political parties and the electorate, protect member interests, and strengthen democratic engagement.
The development follows the recent inauguration of a rival caretaker committee led by Odesola Oluseye Titus of the All Peoples Party (APP). That committee, also inaugurated on Monday, called for unity among political parties and stressed the need for fairness, integrity, and respect throughout the electoral process. Oluseye urged IPAC members to set aside differences and work together to safeguard the credibility of the upcoming election.
The parallel leadership structures reflect a fracture within Osun’s political party ecosystem, with both factions claiming legitimacy. The dispute centers on the authority to represent parties in consultations with electoral bodies and security agencies as the state prepares for the governorship contest. Observers say the resolution of the impasse will be critical to ensuring coordinated party participation and reducing the risk of pre-election friction.
Both factions have expressed commitment to peaceful democratic processes, but the absence of a single recognized IPAC leadership could complicate official engagements in the run-up to the election. Stakeholders are now watching to see whether the national IPAC hierarchy or a court intervention will resolve the standoff before the campaign season intensifies.
