ABUBAKAR Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was conspicuously absent at the signing of the peace accord for the 2019 general election.

The event was put together by the National Peace Committee, headed by the former Military Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Also absent at the event were Kingsley Moghalu, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Donald Duke, and Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidates of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and African Action Congress (AAC) respectively.

President Muhammdu Buhari was present at the event.

JUST IN: President @MBuhari signs the Peace Accord, an undertaking by all the presidential candidates to ensure peaceful and rancor free campaigns before, during and after the 2019 general elections. #NigeriaDecides pic.twitter.com/ITwx1tojcR

— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) December 11, 2018

Abubakar thanked President Buhari for his commitment to a peaceful general election, adding, however, that the security situation of the country remains a source of worry. He also urged leaders to desist from making statements that could further heat up the polity.

Also speaking at the event, on the topic, “Trust and Democracy”, Yakubu Gowon, a former Military Head of State, said democracy remains the system of government that is guaranteed to bring about all-round inclusion.

“The beauty of democracy is that it avails citizens the right to have a say in how they are governed; this right is abridged by the most brutal dictators in the word,” Gowon said.

“Military incursion into our politics has led to misery and underdevelopment of our richly endowed nation and contributed to defective democracy.

“All hope is not lost for the enthronement of true democracy in the country, which is why we must commend the NPC in sensitising everyone that elections are not do-or-die contests.

“We should encourage them to consolidate on the successes of 2015, so that we can have even better polls in 2019. There are better issues of development than pursuing agenda of violence and hate speech. Promotion of ethnic and religious or mutual suspicion will not make us see the best in us, and will defeat the essence of democracy.”

Witnesses at the event include the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan-Kuka, the traditional ruler of Ile-Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, among many other political, religious, and traditional rulers.

In the run-up to the 2015 general election, both former President Goodluck Jonathan and Buhari signed the peace pact, committing to a violence-free process.

Atiku says he wasn’t invited

Meanwhile, Atiku explained later on Tuesday, through his spokesman, Paul Ibe, that he did not attend the peace accord signing ceremony because he was not invited.

“His Excellency did not get any invitation for the programme. I have spoken with him and I can confirm he wasn’t invited,” Ibe said.