- Abubakar tasks stakeholders, parties on peaceful election
BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – Ahead of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders are worried that the governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shunned peace accord signing over certain misgivings in the State.
For the stakeholders, current happenings and the conduct of political actors in the South South State are issues capable of cause unrest and disrupting the electoral process.
Against the backdrop of PDP’s refusal to sign the General Abdulsalami Abubakar-Led National Peace Accord Committee (NPAC) packaged Peace Accord, alleging Police bias in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the CSOs said the conduct of politicians and their supporters may negatively impact the upcoming election.
On the list of concerned CSOs are Yiaga Africa, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Transparency International (TI), and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
In his intervention, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, described as disturbing a situation where one of the country’s major political parties shunned signing the peace agreement.
Itodo said reasons offered by the aggrieved Party, PDP for its action should certainly provide an insight into what people should expect, adding that; “Their decision not to sign the peace agreement reflects how tense the politics has been and will be if nothing is done.
“Confidence is broken, and there is no trust in those managing the election. But I think they should have signed the peace agreement.
“It is not about the security agencies but about using legal means to express grievances. They sent a significant message, but I think it is also a missed opportunity.”
Also, speaking in the same vein, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Chairman, Board of Amnesty International, Nigeria, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani tasked politicians to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly.
Maintaining that anyone who causes trouble should be held accountable, the CISLAC boss said; “We will hold them accountable if there is a breach of law. Some people want to undermine the election.
“We have to do everything possible to ensure that we encourage voters not to allow themselves to be used to cause violence”.
Meanwhile, during the signing ceremony held at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin, Chairman of the National Peace Accord Committee (NPAC), General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki had on Wednesday raised the issue of police bias and set out some conditions the police must meet before the PDP could sign the Peace Accord.
He said rather than his outright refusal to sign the accord on behalf of PDP, the Party State Chairman, Dr Aziegbemi should have further amplified that position before the Committee and other political parties.
General Abubakar, who pleaded for understanding among all stakeholders, said the Committee remains committed to a smooth, hitch-free and peaceful election in Edo State come Saturday, September 2024.
However, the former military Head of State said the PDP still has an opportunity to sign the Peace Accord by coming to Abuja to do so.
Release Our Husbands – Edo Women Tell IGP Egbetokun
Adding their voice to concerns about the current political events in the State, a group, Edo Women for Peaceful and Credible Elections, also alleged that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has shown partisanship, especially regarding the arrest of some chieftains and members of the ruling PDP in the state.
The IGP had confirmed the arrest of Esan West Local Government Council Chairman Collins Aigbogun and others over alleged criminal charges during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties and other stakeholders in the Edo governorship poll.
The development, which generated reactions from PDP members and supporters, later led to various agitations in Edo State demanding the restoration of peace in the election.
On Thursday, the women turned out in large numbers at the venue of the Peace Accord signing to protest and register their displeasure over the perceived police partisanship building-up to the election.
Chanting solidarity songs, the women displayed placards with different inscriptions. Some of them read thus3 “Police are not contesting in the election”; “IGP Egbetokun leave Edo State alone”; “Away with your partisanship”; and “Credible election begins with us” among others.
They also demanded the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Nemi Edwin-Iwo, alleging his close association
The protesting women also called for the unconditional release of PDP members arrested and, according to them, whisked away in a Gestapo-like manner to Abuja by the police.
“Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, please leave our husbands alone; election is not a war,” they all chorused in their different chants
Experts Task Journalists on Conflict-Sensitive Reporting
With eyes on the ball, experts from the Media and Civil Society have cautioned journalists to show restraint in their coverage of the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states as to avoid promoting tensions and conflicts in the polity.
They offered their thoughts at a webinar titled; “Conflict-Sensitive Reporting and Election: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations”, organised by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in collaboration with the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Programme.
Deputy Chairman of the Joint Action Front and National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Achike Chude; Executive-in-charge of Media Mentors Journalism Centre, Joke Kujenya; and CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi were among key Speakers at the Forum.
In his presentation on the topic, “Ethical Considerations and Best Practices for Journalists During Election Reporting,” the NUJ Scribe said journalists deserve support to discharge their responsibility of reporting electoral matters and properly informing the electorate.
He media practitioners should be protected instead of being being harassed and intimidated in the cause of service to their fatherland
