Thirteen political parties on Wednesday signed a peace accord towards the peaceful conduct of the July 16 Osun governorship election. The parties, which signed the peace accord, included the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Action Alliance (AA).
Speaking at the ceremony organised by the National Peace Committee in Osogbo, Bishop Mattew Kukah urged all political parties featuring in the election to work towards peace.
Kukah said Nigeria is in need of a peaceful environment and hence the need to encourage political actors to think towards peace. He said that violence has been one of the fundamental threats to Nigeria’s democracy.
According to him, civil society organisations, religious groups, traditional institutions and other key actors have roles to play in achieving peace in Nigeria.
Kukah urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political actors and other stakeholders to ensure that the election is free, fair and peaceful.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said that the success of the peace accord depends on all stakeholders.
Yakubu said that INEC has taken steps to ensure a credible election on July 16 and appealed to all candidates to strive hard to abide by the peace accord.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Baba, promised that the election would witness an improved security situation over that of Ekiti. Baba, represented by Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Mr Johnson Kokumo, assured Nigerians of a level playing field for all candidates.
NAN
