It was meant to be a moment of sober reflection for political parties and their candidates participating in the forthcoming elections and how the signing of a peace deal would promote violent-free, peaceful and credible elections.
In fact, the ceremony would not have lasted more than a few hours and the participants and key actors would have exchanged pleasantries, shook hands and went home smiling.
But surprisingly, the bickering that has attended the exercise which took place at Ibom hall on Wednesday has continued unabated ever since. It has degenerated into a war of words between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the extent that whether there is any likelihood that the spirit of the accord would be respected.
This is not entirely strange in the sense that as the general election is drawing closer, politicians are wont to make mountains of mole hills in a bid to curry favour from the electorate and would be engaging themselves in shadow chasing.
This explains why a simple ceremony which ought to have been applauded by all has now become an issue of disagreement between the key political parties.
Political parties and their candidates taking part in the coming elections had responded to an invitation by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) for the peace accord as part of efforts to bring about a peaceful election. Though Ibom hall, venue of the exercise, was partly filled, it was clear that the atmosphere would be charged as party loyalists would be singing and chanting the names of their candidates. And that was what exactly happened. Some of the candidates wore T-shirts bearing the insignia of their parties and some of the relatively unknown parties used the opportunity to announce their presence and participation in the election.
After the remarks by stakeholders, including representatives of the traditional institutions, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini and former governor Victor Attah, it was the moment that everybody who was inside the hall had been waiting for.
First to be invited to sign the peace accord in the presence of other political parties and stakeholders was Udom Emmanuel, the Akwa Ibom State governor who mounted the elevated stage and acknowledged cheers from his supporters.
The candidate of the APC, NsimaEkere was nowhere to be found to sign the accord but soon after the event was over, APC fired the first shot blaming PDP for the inability of its candidate to take part in the ceremony.
While the APC claimed that its candidate was barred from signing the accord, PDP said it was a way of avoiding committing to the peace accord when Ekere failed to show up during the peace signing ceremony.
According to IniEmeobong, publicity secretary of PDP, long before NsimaEkere’s arrival, IniOkopido, the chairman of APC was asked by the resident electoral commissioner about the whereabouts of his candidate and he responded that “he was coming” and that he had other engagements.
“Today, at the signing of the peace accord organised by INEC, the candidate of the APC exhibited his consistent, habitual and unrepentant show of rascality by coming hours after the event had started and sought to stroll across the main aisle of the venue.
“He was advised to enter from the front door and to use the middle aisle to his seat which was at the end of the hall.
“He resisted and insisted on swaggering pass the front. Protocol officers of INEC offered to take him to his seat but he left, boasting that Igini must be removed.
“All responsible Akwa Ibom stakeholders, including Obong Victor Attah attended the event in good time and participated effectively, but APC and their candidate NsimaEkere never conformed to normal etiquette.
“We demand that INEC directs NsimaEkere to immediately append his signature and subscribe to the peace accord,’’ Ememobong said.
But reacting to PDP’s statement, the chairman of APC, IniOkopido in a statement made available to the media, described the development as unfortunate, saying that governorship candidate of the party was stopped from entering the hall.
According to him, Ekere’s entreaties to be let in to participate in the ceremony including explanation that he first had to attend a previously scheduled prayer summit for peaceful elections at the Methodist Church, ItiamEto, Uyo were turned down.
“Our candidate had to turn back,” he said.
“The incident is most unfortunate and demonstrates once again our position that INEC in Akwa Ibom should show impartiality to all candidates and maintain neutrality in its conduct.
“APC will continue to reject, oppose and resist every attempt to mortgage the INEC’s independence and impartiality such as was put on display today,’’ Okopido stated.
Speaking earlier, Victor Attah, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, said there had never been any doubt that free and fair elections form the bedrock of democracy.
Attah, who lauded INEC’s initiative over the peace accord,expressed the optimism that the exercise would introduce sanity into the country’s electoral system, adding that INEC has done the country a world of favourof which Nigerians should be grateful to them.
“And so, as we sign this accord today, let us be sincere about it and I want to say to INEC, the stakeholders are coming out to sign the accord, that is their covenant with the people and the electoral processes; please also be ready to confirm your covenant with Nigerians that you are in the position to conduct free, fair and credible election,’’ he said.
Udom, who entered into the peace accord, is seeking to be re-elected for a second term on the platform of PDP. He expressed his commitment to the peace accord, thanking the INEC and other stakeholders for the exercise. He added that for the fact that there is a commitment in writing, it was a guarantee that the elections would be peaceful.
“For the fact that there is a commitment in writing that will ensure peace, anybody who goes against this I think, he will be on his own. Election is part of democratic process which leads to free, peaceful and credible elections,’’ he said.
In his remarks at the event, Igini said there are over 2 million registered voters in the state, adding that over 1.6 million have received their Permanent Voters’ Cards for the election.
The REC, who reiterated that there would be no use of Incident Forms during the election, said that the collation process would be transparent for all to see. He explained that the era of thugs at polling stations was gone.
“Under my leadership here in this state, nobody born of a human in this hall, anywhere in Nigeria can tell me to do anything that can undermine the process. I am not going to come between any of you and this election is about the people of Akwa Ibom State and their votes must count,’’ Igini said.
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
