A’Ibom Guber Candidates Sign Accord on Peaceful Elections
Okon Bassey in Uyo
Worried by tension being generated in Akwa Ibom State due to the governorship and State House of Assembly elections, the State Police Command yesterday summoned the governorship candidates of various political parties to sign peace accord in the conduct of the March 18, 2023 elections.
The accord signing ceremony, which took place at State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo, tasked the governorship candidates and their party chairmen that signed for state House of Assembly candidates to ensure violence free elections on the March 18 polls.
The ceremony, which was presided by the state Commissioner òf Police, CP. Olatoye Durosinmi, also had in attendance the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), service chiefs, a representative of paramount rulers, civil society organisations (CSO), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) among others.
The peace accord as signed charged all the governorship candidates to promote peace in all ramifications in the state before, during and after the 2023 polls.
The governorship candidates were urged to admonish party members and followers to refrain from violence, incitements, intimidations, insult and to conduct themselves in line with the electoral process.
The accord cautioned them and their party against making any public statements, pronouncements or declarations that have the capacity to incite any form of violence before, during and after the elections.
The governorship candidates equally signed the accord to run issue based campaign and refrained from campaign that involves ethnic or tribal profiling.
“Speak out publicly against provocative utterances from anyone, which is capable of derailing the electioneering process and oppose all acts of electoral violence, whether perpetrated by supporters or opponents,” the accord stressed.
The state’s police commissioner had earlier said zero tolerance elections is expected and those who want to ferment trouble should refrain from it.
“We want to remain the most peaceful state of the federation. “We should not say because of elections we start burning vehicles. Let your followers no that violence don’t pay, you cannot win election by intimidating others.
“Signing of the accord is just symbolic but carries the message to your supporters. You must not allow the faceless agitators to do something funny,” he stated.
According to the state police boss, people arrested during the conduct of the presidential election are still being investigated while security operatives are on the trail of those on the run.
Also speaking, the representative of INEC, the Administrative Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbodu, said that the essence was to seek peace during the elections and the governorship candidates to embrace the peace accord.
“On our part we will continue to ensure that the elections are credible,” he said.
Most of the governorship candidates that spoke commended the State Police Command and INEC for guaranteeing security and credible polls.
They charged the state police command to be neutral in tackling election issues and should do something about fake security operatives during the conduct of the elections in the state.
They noted that voters at the community level are often threatened by hoodlums and urged security to be beefed up to protect voters from any unforeseen violence.
