The incumbent National President of Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC), Mr Peter Ameh has been re-elected for a second term of one year in office, yesterday in Abuja.
Ameh, whose tenure would expire on Sept. 5, scored 62 votes to emerge the national president of IPAC, while three votes were voided and three delegates voted against his re-election.
Ameh, who was billed to reel out his manifesto when the delegates asked him to take a bow and go, was first elected in 2018 to replace Tanko Muhammed.
68 delegates comprising political parties’ officials converged at the National Electoral Institute to reelect Ameh, who is of the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA).
A mild drama however occurred when Mr Bishop Amakri, National Chairman, Young Progressives Party (YPP), opposed the voice vote, insisting that Ameh must address the delegates.
Amakri, who described the syndrome of taking a bow and go as ‘unacceptable’, and called on delegates not to practice the National Assembly style of “take a bow and go”, was however ‘shouted down’.
In his acceptance speech, Ameh lauded the peaceful conduct of the election, saying that IPAC would work with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders to develop a democratic model for “a free and credible election atmosphere in the country.”
He said that he would work for inclusiveness to create offices that would bring in youth, women and people living with disability into the mainstream of nation’s political system.
“We now have gender office, youth policy adviser and now we are creating IPAC Institute for Multi-Party Democracy and Good Governance,” he revealed.
Mr Damian Akhamhe, Director of Political Finance Monitoring, INEC, commended the conduct of the election, describing it as “peaceful and satisfactory”.
He said: “This is one of the best elections I have observed in IPAC, very organised and straight to the point, there is no argument.”
He however expressed worry over absence of what he called “big political parties”, adding that the exercise would send the right signal on how to conduct elections.
No fewer than 16 contestants jostled for the 13 available positions which include; President, Vice President I and II, Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Youth Advisor and Organizing Secretary.
Others are Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Gender Advisor, National Legal Advisor and Audit Control Officer.
Mr Babatunde Ademola of Nigeria Community Movement Party (NCMP) emerged the Publicity Secretary with 43 votes to beat two other contestants.
Ademola described the exercise as a test for excellent democracy in IPAC, saying “I can assure you that working with different mindset in IPAC will stabilize our democracy.”
Other elective positions except the office of Vice-President II which had two contestants were unopposed.