Masari, 12 Other Guber Candidates Sign Peace Accord

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Governor Aminu  Bello Masari and other governorship candidates, including Yakubu Lado Danmarke, the candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday signed a Peace Accord to ensure smooth conduct of general election in Katsina state.

The peace accord, initiated by the Katsina State Police Command under the leadership of CP Muhammad Wakili, is an undertaking by all the governorship candidates to ensure peaceful and rancour free campaigns before, during and after the elections.

Addressing the candidates at the event, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 1, Kano, Dan Bature, said the endorsement of the document had indicated that the candidates agreed to run issue-based campaigns at state and local government levels.

“This agreement will restrain the candidates from making or causing to make in their names and that of their parties, any public statement or pronouncements that has the capacity to incite any form of violence during the elections”, he said.

He explained that the peace accord would also restrain the candidates from campaigns that will involve religious incitements, ethnic or tribal profiling, both by themselves and their agents.

In his welcome remarks, the state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Wakili, urged the candidates to shun political violence, adding that the peace accord is an agreement that political parties should adhere strictly to in order to ensure free, fair and peaceful 2019 general elections.

He said “We have witnessed the impacts of 2015 Abuja Peace Accord on the 2015 general election which saw for the first time in the history of this country a peaceful transition, where a ruling party handed over power peacefully to an opposition party”.

On his part, the  Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa, admonished the candidates to shun acts capable of disrupting the elections, saying no meaningful development can be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour.