The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Mr Mutiu Agboke, has urged members of Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) familiarise themselves more with the nitty-gritty of party system in a democratic setting.
This, according to the REC, will further enhance the nation’s democratic growth.
Agboke stated this on Wednesday, while receiving the newly-elected executive members of IPAC in the state, led by its Chairman, Mr Fagbemi Adegbenro, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Ibadan.
He said that the relevance of political parties should not be limited to the electioneering period alone, adding that they also should be up and doing in activities capable of promoting electoral processes.
According to him, such activities include running of political parties, management of their finances and not running to moneybags to pocket political parties.
Agboke also noted that party system in a democracy was meant to enhance democratic process, stressing that the drivers of the process were the politicians and political parties.
While enjoining IPAC to be active, he said that political parties should understand INEC policies and other national issues beyond sentiment or emotion.
“As member of political parties, you should be able to be clear-headed. So I urge you all to run your respective parties well so as to be able to achieve the desired results,” he said.
Agboke, who further described IPAC as an institution meant to drive a process, posited that political parties were the symbols of the process.
“So, let’s drive it well, because if there are issues of election or democracy and IPAC is not there, it is incomplete.
“A certain political party is doing registration now to know the strength of its membership. But, it shouldn’t just be for the purpose of registration; rather, members should also have duties and responsibilities to the party.
“This is the way all political parties should think,” he stated.
Agboke, who noted that he met a formidable and clear-headed IPAC when he was posted to the state in 2018, appreciated the efforts and contributions of the body to the success of electoral activities in the state.
“The IPAC I met in Oyo state is unparalleled with those in other states. Oyo IPAC knew the assignment, stood by it and pursued it.
“So, I give kudos to IPAC in Oyo State for its excellent and outstanding performances.
“Usually people will castigate us that we are relating much with politicians, but people don’t know how to isolate such level of relationship.
“Without politicians, INEC, as a commission, cannot exist. So there is always the need for interface.
“What we are talking against is a relationship that will always foster and fester fraud, manipulations and irregularities.
“So for us, it is a robust relationship we are having with all members of IPAC in the state,” he said.
Agboke described IPAC as one of the pillars of the successes recorded by INEC during the 2019 general elections, explaining that its evolution was not without the commission.
“INEC felt the need for a robust relationship between it and political parties. Therefore, there should be an umbrella body, which is IPAC,” he said.
The REC emphasised that the synergy between INEC and IPAC could not be over-emphasised, adding “that is why we will continue to liaise with you.”
Agboke reminded IPAC members that the commission was already preparing for the 2023 general elections and urged them to be major stakeholders in all the activities of the commission.
Earlier, the newly-elected chairman of IPAC noted that IPAC and INEC were inseparable, stressing that there was no doubt that a robust relationship had existed between them.
Adegbenro said the new executive of the committee came to renew the robust relationship with the commission, expressing the hope that INEC would give them the opportunity to relate more on a mutually- beneficial level.
He commended the REC for his contributions towards the successful conduct of the 2019 general elections in the state.
The IPAC chairman pledged the support of his organisation to the activities of INEC towards developing and sustaining democracy in the country.
He also solicited for the support of media organisations in the state for the activities of IPAC so that the public would know what it stood for.
