The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has said his meeting with the National Peace Committee was to address issues concerning the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
Mahmood Yakubu said his meeting with the Abdulsalam Abubakar-led committee was because of the strategic role the committee has been playing in the national and state elections through deploying observers.
Professor Yakubu explained that since the National Peace Committee became involved in elections conducted in the country, violence has been reduced in all elections.
The INEC Chairman said this on Friday while addressing newsmen after meeting with the National Peace Committee. He stated that the Peace Committee has also promised to deploy its observers in the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
“The Peace Committee is favorably disposed to a peaceful election in Edo and Ondo off-cycle election. So they invited us to come and brief the committee on our preparations so far and what we think the National Peace Committee should start thinking about and I’m happy to report that we have received the reassurance that they will continue to deploy for the off-cycle of elections
“As we have noticed, since September 2020 when we conducted the last Edo governorship election and other off cycle elections, they have been more peaceful than the previous elections because of the involvement of the National Peace Committee and for that we are most grateful for the partnership,” he said.
Yakubu disclosed that all the candidates for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections and their political parties will also sign a Peace Accord before the election.
“The peace accord has always involved the political parties and the candidates themselves, with INEC, the chairman of the National Peace Committee and the Inspector General of Police as witnesses.
“So just as in previous elections for the first time in Edo and Ondo governorship elections all the candidates, all the candidates involved in the collection and all the parties will be invited to sign the peace accord in Benin City in the case of Edo State and in the case of Ondo, Akure. So the parties and candidates involved in the election will be involved in signing the peace accord and committing themselves to peaceful elections,” Professor Yakubu added.