The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has constituted an Interim Management Committee to run its affairs.
The interim committee is sequel to the deregistration of 74 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This was disclosed Wednesday by the Interim Committee chairman, Leonard Nzenwa, in Abuja.
According to him, the committee became imperative because it cannot afford to be grounded because some political parties were deregistered.
“After reviewing events that have unfolded over this period, the Interim Management Committee of the registered 18 political parties, whilst still discussing the way forward for these our colleagues, and aware that the Inter Party Advisory Council made up of only registered political parties as spelt out in its revised code of conduct for political parties in Nigeria (2018), Laws governing elections in Nigeria which include the Electoral Act 2010, INEC Regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections and innumerate extracts from 1999 Constitution relating to conduct, management and powers of INEC remain committed to the high mission of IPAC in consolidating our democracy .
“Driven therefore by this overriding need to ensure an environment conducive for successful elections going forward, and also for the greater obligatory requirement not to create vacuum in our electoral system and in the leadership of IPAC by ceasing not to act while the political system is brought to a halt on account of the deregistration of the 74 political parties a 360 degree engagement needs to be activated without delay to collectively engage with INEC and other core stakeholders saddled with the responsibility of planning, coordinating, monitoring and managing election matters in the country.
“Based on the forgoing, IPAC, a registered body of recognised political parties in the country occupies strategic and preeminent position in the united effort to contribute to the development of our electoral process and system.
“we need to restate that as stakeholders especially now that many of the deregistered political parties seek legitimacy from the courts and INEC reasserts its commitment and resolve to clean up the electoral system, the Interim Management Committee steering the affairs of the 18 registered political parties in the country will not detain itself not to undertake crucial functions beholden to it to exercise towards promoting dialogue and adjudicating between among the political parties and several stakeholders seeking to reach out and engage with the registered political parties under the banner of IPAC.
“In furtherance of the above, State chapters of IPAC are hereby directed to replicate the Interim Management Committee to oversee the affairs of the Council in their respective states pending when election is to be conducted”, he said.
