The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, set up by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to bring cohesion among the different political parties has set up a Committee to monitor parties which disobey regulations governing campaigns for elections and libelous advertisements.
The National Chairman of IPAC who is also Chairman of National Conscience Party, Dr. Yinusa Tanko, disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja after his re-election held at INEC National Headquaters.
All 25 political parties participated in the election which was supervised by top INEC officials.
“Libelous campaigns should be followed. As political,parties, we must campaign within the time frame stipulated by law which is 90 days before election. So we will make sure that we in-house will have to do the right thing before INEC will have to teach us what we have to do. As political parties, we have to put our political skill in the limelight so that everybody will be happy for us.
“There is a particular committee that has been set up to deal with all of these within the Code of Conduct. So everybody that tries to contravene this aspect of the law will be referred to the appropriate committee with a view to recommending necessary sanctions and punishments because we are not an organization that cannot bite. We are committee to making sure that the right thing is done,” the IPAC chairman said.
Tanko also said that in the past, IPAC had made reference to all of the issues which are already being raised by all the political parties.
“I can tell you that not a single political party raised an issue. But when there was one that happened in Anambra State involving El-Rufai, we made sure that the right thing was done. But many people didn’t know the status of El-Rufai as Deputy National Secretary of APC at that time. So we took it upon ourselves to publicize it”, he stated.
He also expressed optimism that INEC has shown purposefulness and preparedness for next tear’s election adding, “remember when we had the Anambra governorship election, there were a lot of challenges. In Ekiti and Osun States governorship elections, everybody applauded INEC for what they are doing. We have also been discussing with INEC and they have been listening to us and they have been implementing our suggestions. They have promised that elections will be better in 2015.”
Also speaking, the re-elected Secretary-General of IPAC and National Chairman of Progressive a peoples Alliance, Peter Ameh, called on politicians to be sincere by fulfilling their electoral promises.
He said, “We must operate a council that will be transparent and cooperative in seeking a view that concern all of us. That is the spirit of Nigerian political parties. We must achieve success in whatever we go after. Wherever you are, if you work faithfully and diligently and in all fairness, you will be recognized.
“That is why we have always used this to talk to our leaders. If you campaign too much, it is as a result of your own popularity. If you have done what the people want by providing social amenities, the amount that will be put into elections will be less. People should serve and serve with all faithfulness so that at the end if the day, they will not be too much rancour in trying to return to office,” Ameh said.
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