EKITI GUBER ELECTIONS: ALL CANDIDATES TO SIGN PEACE ACCORD.
Written by AIGBOKHAEBHO OKHUELEIGBE on June 14, 2022
The National Peace Committee is calling on the electorate in Ekiti State, South-West Nigeria to come out in their numbers without fear of the spike in insecurity to exercise their franchise to choose the next Governor on Saturday.
Chairman of the Committee and former Head of State, Abdusalami Abubakar, in a statement, said the high turnout of voters at the Governorship election will deepen democracy in Ekiti state and the country to offer a glimmer of hope and a window of opportunity to assess how the 2023 general elections will pan out.
General Abubakar noted that voters who set out on Saturday to cast their votes despite a series of disappointments accompanied by past elections and long hours of queues at the polling units under the harsh weather conditions are the true custodians of democracy as they have embraced the best form of government for Nigeria.
The former Head of State urged the youths not to make themselves pawns on the political chessboard of the politicians and must realise that the security, stability, and future of Nigeria should remain their common priority towards making themselves ambassadors of peace for the continuous build-up of the country’s democracy.
The National Peace Committee expressed fear over the monetisation of the electoral process owing to the recent party primaries and the elevation of the “delegate position” over and above the welfare of ordinary Nigerians and urged all the people taking part in the Ekiti State Governorship election to follow due process, conduct themselves with civility and patriotism, no matter the grievances they may hold against individuals, against the state, or against electoral bodies or security agencies.
The Committee also announced that a peace accord will be signed by the various political parties and their Governorship candidates on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at the Amazing Grace Events Hall, Ikokun, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
He reminded the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security agencies, and candidates in the Ekiti State Governorship elections that all eyes are on them as the outcome of the off-circle election will put to test all the claims of reforms and strategic policy implementations of the last four years.
The Abubakar-led committee says it expects that a level playing field will be provided for all candidates irrespective of the party under which they are contesting and tasked INEC, the security agencies, and the media to be non-partisan in the discharge of their duties.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
