The Inter-Party Advisory Council, Osun State chapter, has called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to reconstitute the newly inaugurated 10-man Committee on Election Violence Victims, citing the exclusion of political parties from its membership.
Governor Adeleke had earlier on Monday announced the constitution of the committee headed by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, to verify claims by persons affected by election-related violence and oversee the disbursement of the N500 million Election Violence Victims Relief Endowment Fund.
According to a statement by the Governor’s Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the committee also has members drawn from Civil Society Organisations, the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Justice, Department of State Services, and the Osun Investment Promotion Agency.
However, IPAC, in a statement by its state chairman, Dr Tosin Odeyemi, said the committee announced by the governor failed to meet the basic test of inclusiveness and credibility, as none of its members was from the committee, even though election violence affects party members and supporters directly.
IPAC argued that a credible verification and relief process must accommodate all stakeholders, especially political parties, which are the major stakeholders in the election.
The statement noted that while the listed institutions in the announced committee are critical, the absence of political party representatives creates doubts about the fairness and transparency of the process.
“Victims of election violence cut across party lines. To leave parties out is to undermine confidence in the exercise,” the statement added.
The council urged Governor Adeleke to immediately reconstitute the committee to include representatives of political parties in the state.
It further called on affected persons with genuine claims to cooperate with the verification process once reconstituted, while tasking the government to ensure that relief reaches all deserving victims irrespective of party affiliation, ethnicity, or religion.