THE Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his victory in the Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State, describing the outcome as a significant win for the entire state.
IPAC, in a statement on Sunday, August 16, in Abuja, by its National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, said the peaceful election reflected the true will of people, adding: “It is a victory for democracy and the rule of law, demonstrating the people’s resolve to defend their constitutional rights.”
Dantalle also congratulated Accord Party and Osun people for their unwavering commitment to constitutional governance, despite alleged harsh political harassment, widespread intimidation, strategic lawless arrests and the reported killings, noting: “The victory of Accord in this election is sweet music to all lovers of democracy in Nigeria and demonstrates citizens’ resolve against anti-democratic forces.”
He said the result was an indication of what could happen when citizens resisted attempts to impose candidates on them and cause political upheavals capable of scuttling the entire democratic transition journey, saying: “As the umbrella body of registered political parties, IPAC strongly condemns political violence and interference ahead of Osun governorship election.”
He recalled that IPAC had demanded a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election, stressing that the courageous people had spoken directly through their votes to choose their next official executive governor.
According to him: “Today, the people of Osun have spoken with their votes and chosen their governor. This is democracy in action.”
Dantalle advised everyone to maintain the public peace, even as he commended INEC, security agencies, civil society groups, domestic observers and the international community for fully supporting the election success across all the various local government areas of Osun, saying IPAC will continue contributing to an enabling environment for successful elections in Nigeria, while working to strengthen electoral integrity and public confidence.
The IPAC chairman said the council remained committed to restoring electoral integrity and rebuilding public trust in Nigeria’s democratic system through strategic collective efforts and continuous positive engagement with all the political actors, reiterating that the victory reflects Osun people’s democratic choice and their unwavering commitment to constitutional governance across the entire nation as they match forward into a much brighter future.
