Eighteen political parties have signed a peace accord in Ondo State, pledging to promote a peaceful gubernatorial election and accept the results of the upcoming polls, provided they are deemed free and fair.
This significant development aims to ensure a violence-free electoral process.
General Abdulsalam Abubakar, the chairman of the National Peace Committee, urged candidates and parties to uphold democratic tenets and reject vote trading. He emphasised the importance of maintaining the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the country.
In a goodwill message, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor 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.
The Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by AIG Sylvester Abiodun, assured of readiness for the elections and disclosed the deployment of over 36,000 police officers to secure all 18 local government areas. This effort will be supplemented by officers from other security agencies, totalling 43,157 personnel.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa commended the National Peace Committee’s efforts and pledged to uphold democracy and the peace accord. He expressed hope that the peaceful atmosphere could be sustained during and after the elections, urging other parties to follow suit.
The peace accord is a crucial step towards ensuring a peaceful electoral process in Nigeria, building on previous successes in reducing election violence.