Seventeen political parties have signed a peace accord in Ondo State, pledging to promote a peaceful gubernatorial election and accept the results of the upcoming November 16 polls, provided they are deemed free and fair.
Abdulsalami Abubakar, the chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), who spoke during the signing of the Ondo State Peace Accord urged the party leaders and candidates to accept the outcome of the elections as long as it is adjudged to be free, fair, and credible, and to seek legitimate and peaceful means of addressing any concern that may arise thereafter.
Abubakar emphasised the importance of maintaining the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the country.
He said; “I want to call on all stakeholders to work assiduously in their capacities to ensure that peace reigns supreme during this election and that the Ondo state off-cycle election sets a precedent for other off-cycle elections to emulate.
“While I commend the INEC, for the work done so far, | call on them to continuously live up to their responsibilities in ensuring that eligible voters exercise their franchise peacefully and that the remaining electoral processes are credible free, and fair.
“I must also extol the Nigeria Police Force and members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for maintaining peace and security in Ondo state. It has indeed remained one of the relatively peaceful states in the Country.
“I therefore urge them to remain resilient in averting any threats of violence and maintaining the peace in the state as we are only a few days away from the elections.
“I want to encourage the good people of Ondo state to exercise their civic duty by coming out en masse to vote for the candidates of their choice and desist from selling their votes, as it contradicts the very essence of democracy. It remains the duty of Nigerian citizens to elect their leaders free from any inducements or prejudice. Political actors must also discontinue this menace of vote trading.
“As citizens you must also respect that only the INEC has the constitutional authority to announce the results, therefore, it behooves the party leaders to ensure that they play a critical role in encouraging their supporters to refrain from making statements that will incite violence within this period especially after the results have been announced.
“I urge all politicians who will sign the accord to fully commit themselves and their parties to the letter and spirit of the accord. fo 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. It is the sincere hope of the National Peace Committee that the Ondo state elections will be free, fair, credible, and peaceful.”
While in his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, noted that no security incidents have been reported so far. He expressed optimism about continued peace, promised improved logistics on election day and encouraged parties to commit to the signed agreement.
Yakubu said; “I am confident that with the signing of the Peace Accord today, the proactive measures taken by the security agencies, the roles played by our respected traditional rulers, the community and religious leaders, civil society organisations, the mass media and all other stakeholders, the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election will, by the grace of God, be peaceful.
“For our part, I want to assure you that we have taken measures to address election day challenges, especially the perennial challenge of logistics.
“I will not be tired of appealing to political parties and candidates to note that your signatures on the Peace Accord document alone will not guarantee a peaceful election. The Peace Accord is not an automated, self-activating document. Your commitment to its implementation is critical. Therefore, as you sign the Peace Accord, you should commit yourselves to its implementation and pass the message to your supporters at all levels for compliance.”
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by AIG Sylvester Alabi, assured of readiness for the elections and disclosed the deployment of over 36,000 police officers to secure all 18 local government areas.
According to him, this effort will be supplemented by officers from other security agencies, totalling 43,157 personnel.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, commended the National Peace Committee’s efforts and pledged to accept the outcome of the election.
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