ABOUT two hours after the Edo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it would not sign the Peace Accord by all political parties and candidates ahead of the 21st September governorship election, the party itself as the Acting Chairman of the party, Emperor Jarret Tenebe and the candidate of the party, Sen. Monday Okpebholo.
Tenebe said they had to rescind their decision because they respected the rule of law, and the credibility of the National Peace Committee headed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Bishop Hassan Kukah.
He said “One of our demands was that those who attacked our candidate convoy and killed his police detail should be declared wanted and arrested.
“The Police have promised that they will be apprehended. And it will also not be proper for us not to come because the chairman of the committee, General Abubakar Abdulsalami is an elder statesman,” he said.
The exercise which was held in Benin City had the other 17 participating political parties sign for their parties while the chairman of the PDP, Dr Tony Aziegbemi and the party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, although present, did not sign.
Aziegbemi who spoke to journalists at the venue, queried the usefulness of the peace accord signing, noting that “10 PDP members have been arrested in Gestapo style by the police and detained in Abuja without trial.”
He added: “We will not allow a biased IGP who is not from Edo State to determine the outcome of this election. We demand the immediate recall of any external policemen currently Marauding the State.”
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG), Joseph Eboigbe, who represented Governor Godwin Obaseki at the event, explained that the party will sign only after members of the party who were arrested are released by the police or charged to court.
He however assured the commitment of the state government to the safety of all stakeholders in the election.
Chairman of the Committee, Abubakar (rtd), in his welcome speech, noted that signing the accord “signifies readiness to place the interest of the people which you want to serve above individual or party ambitions.”
“Elections are a pillar of democracy, and in democracy, there are no losers; only participants who play their part in advancing the will of the people they represent and serve.
“I appeal to the esteemed candidates, parties and their supporters to remember that peace is the foundation upon which progress and development is built and established. Without it, none of the promises made to the people of Edo state can be fulfilled,” he said.
On his part, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Mahmood Yakubu, told the political parties and their candidates it is not just the signing of the documents that matter but their commitment to the implementation of the peace document that would guarantee peaceful election.
He reassured the audience of INEC’s readiness to conduct free, fair and credible elections in the state.
Yakubu said “Therefore, as you sign the Peace Accord, commit yourselves to the implementation and terms of the accord and pass the message to your supporters at all levels for compliance.
“This is the best way to honour the effort and sacrifice of the Chairman and members of the NPC to peaceful elections,” Yakubu said.
Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, urged all stakeholders to embrace peace, tolerance and respect for the democratic process promising that the police would remain impartial, professional and vigilant.
“We have put in place robust measures for the safety of persons and materials that would be involved in this election,” he said.
In his closing remarks, the Convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Martin Kukah, urged Edo people to go out and cast their votes and urged all candidates to explore legal means to seek redress if they were not satisfied with the outcome of the election, disclosed that the peace committee has the mechanisms to resolve some of the problems.
