EIGHTEEN governorship candidates on Friday in Akure signed a peace accord ahead of the 2024 Ondo State off-cycle governorship election scheduled for November 16 in the state.
Eighteen governorship candidates in Ondo State signed a peace accord in Akure on Friday, November 8.
All the candidates pledged to support a peaceful and credible electoral process in the upcoming election on November 16, 2024.
Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), Abdulsalam Abubakar, oversaw the signing and emphasised the accord’s importance in promoting peace and democracy ¹.
Abubakar urged party leaders and candidates to accept the election outcome, provided it is deemed free, fair, and credible.
He also encouraged them to seek legitimate and peaceful means of addressing any concerns that may arise after the election.
Abubakar, a former military head of state, called on all stakeholders to work assiduously in their capacities to ensure that peace reigns supreme during the election.
“And that the Ondo State off-cycle election sets a precedent for other off-cycle elections to emulate.
He urged all politicians who signed the accord to fully commit themselves and their parties to the letter and spirit of the agreement.
“Shun violence and intimidation and remember that as politicians, you must demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship, as that is a key trait of good leadership.
“So, it is the sincere hope of the National Peace Committee that the Ondo State election will be free, fair, credible, and peaceful,” Abubakar stated.
Abubakar, who commended INEC for the work done so far, called on them to continuously live up to their responsibilities in ensuring that eligible voters exercised their franchise peacefully.
Earlier, the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, praised the NPC’s prompt efforts to unite candidates and parties for peaceful elections in Nigeria.
According to Yakubu, seven peace treaties have been signed in off-cycle elections since its commencement in 2020.
He urged security services, religious groups, traditional leaders, and others to work with the commission to ensure a peaceful election.
He reminded the gathering that signing the peace accord alone cannot guarantee a peaceful election.
“So, you have signed the peace accord; you should commit yourself to implementation and pass the message to your supporters to comply to honour the effort.
“I have said repeatedly that to honour the effort and sacrifices of the chairman and members of the NPC, we must ensure peaceful elections in Nigeria,” Yakubu said.
According to Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, who was represented by Abiodun Alabi, 36,637 officers would be assigned to all 3933 polling stations and 203 wards throughout the 18 local government areas of Ondo State for the election.
“We are going to deploy four personnel to each of the polling units to protect the INEC materials, officials, and electorate during and after the election,” Egbetokun stated.
Speaking on behalf of the candidates, Ondo state governor, who is also the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Lucky Aiyedatiwa, pledged to follow the rules and laws governing the electoral process.
The peace accord is a significant step towards ensuring a violence-free election in Ondo State. With eighteen candidates committing to peace, the stage is set for a credible and democratic process.
A reporter with the ICIR
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