The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declined to ink down the peace accord for the Edo State Gubernatorial election slated for September 21.
Former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar reported this on Thursday at the venue of the signing of the peace accord in the Edo state capital, Benin-City.
While saying thanks to those who signed the peace accord, he said, “As you must have seen in the media, I met the Governor (Godwin Obaseki) yesterday, and he told me that the PDP is not going to sign this peace accord.
“They have made some observations, and I was expecting the Chairman of the PDP to come and make that statement. Having waited for him this long, it is just to announce that the PDP said they are not going to sign.”
As per him, the PDP said it would possibly sign the peace accord in the event that specific conditions are met.
The Chairman of the PDP in the state who was present at the venue did not give reasons why the party opted not to sign the accord.
In any case, Lead Representative Godwin Obaseki had said on Wednesday that his party, the PDP, probably won’t sign the accord.
The Lead Representative said this when he met with members of the National Peace Committee (NPC) led by former Head of State and elder statesman Abulsalami Abubakar.
He blamed security operatives for inclining towards the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that the police had got warrants and apprehended members of the PDP, basically driving the leaders of the party into stowing away.
“Until everybody (party members) arrested in Edo is released or brought back to Edo to be tried for whatever offences you claimed they have committed, we have no confidence that the police is going to protect us in this election,” Governor Obaseki said.
Also, around the same time, the Deputy Director General of the PDP campaign Don-Pedro Obaseki explained why the party would not sign. He spoke during an appearance on a televised programme.
Although the PDP and its candidate for the political race, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, did not sign, other parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Mr. Monday Okpebholo, signed the peace accord. The Labour Party (LP) and its candidate Mr. Olumide Akpata inked down the peace accord as well.
Other parties who signed the accord are the Accord Party, Accord Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, Action Democratic Party.
Others include the All Progressives Congress (APC), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Labour Party (LP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Youth Party (YP), the Young Progressives Party (YPP) among others.
The National Peace Committee was established in 2014 as a non-governmental organization made up of elder statesmen in the nation to promote free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.
Over the past decade, the committee has worked to prevent breakdown of the rule of law during election circles. A prominent feature of its activities is the peace accord signings by political parties and candidates ahead of elections.
General Abubakar is the Chairman, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (Retired) is the Vice Chairman and Bishop Mathew Kukah is the Convener.
Members include the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad III, and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, among others.
