Edo Guber: PDP declines as APC and other parties sign peace accord.
Ahead of the Edo State governorship election on September 21, 2024, seventeen of the 18 political parties competing have signed a peace deal.
The Edo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman Anthony Aziegbemi, and the party's candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who were present at the signing of the Peace Accord, declined to sign.
Aziegbemi informed reporters that they were declining because ten members of the party were now held by police in Abuja.
"We are here to register our protest before the peace committee and to say that the PDP will not sign peace accord when 10 of our members have been arrested and detained by the police in Abuja," according to him.
It should be noted that during Wednesday's stakeholders meeting, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun stated that he was unaware that PDP members had been arrested in the state.
"However, I am aware that individuals who committed crimes and political violence in the state have been arrested," replied Egbetokun.
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Convener of the National Peace Committee, urged the candidates to view peace as the foundation for a credible election.
Kukah stated that the task before the committee was to assist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a peaceful election devoid of violence.
"We should be grateful for our country because many other African countries are in crisis due to unsolved political difficulties.
"Let us thank God that we have the opportunity in Nigeria to extend our hands in pursuit of justice.
"I am pleased that Nigerians have confidence in the electoral process. "A bad election is remedied by another election," he explained.
Kukah urged Edo residents to vote, saying the state should consider itself fortunate to have produced some of Nigeria's most prominent politicians.
In his welcome remarks, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Chairman of the National Peace Committee, stated that the ceremony was a promise to safeguard the nation's peace, unity, and democratic ideals.
Abubakar stated that since the committee's creation in 2014, it has worked relentlessly to create a climate in which all Nigerians can exercise their constitutional right to vote without fear of violence or intimidation.
He urged candidates, parties, and supporters to remember that peace served as the cornerstone for progress and prosperity.
"Without it, no promises made to the people of Edo State can be kept.
"I encourage everyone to uphold this commitment beyond the elections and accept the outcome of the election," according to him.
Also speaking, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu stated that INEC will continue to play its role in accordance with electoral rules.
Yakubu praised the Peace Committee for bringing up the political parties and their candidates together to agree to a peaceful election.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stated that the Police, in partnership with other security agencies, would assist INEC in conducting the elections.
"We will remain impartial, professional and vigilante while providing a level playing ground for political parties and their candidates," the investigation's chief stated.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), which had previously indicated that it would boycott the signing of the Peace Accord, later reversed its decision and signed the accord.
