Gov Ishaku, APC, UDP Candidates Absent At Taraba Peace Accord Pact
BY ANEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, who is also governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the candidate of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Senator Aisha Alhassan, and that of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Sani Danladi on Thursday failed to show turn up at the peace accord signing ceremony.
The signing of the peace agreement took place at the Taraba State Police Command headquarters in Jalingo.
However 14 other governorship candidates, including Mr Kefas Sule, a former staff of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), who is contesting on the platform of All Blended Party (ABP) signed the peace pact.
The Taraba state Commissioner of Police, Mr David Akinremi, who presided over the signing agreement said the aim was to commit the governorship candidates for peaceful conduct of the election.
According to him; “We cannot as a nation move forward if we fail to promote peace. I want to appeal to you stakeholders to shun violence.
If contesting election is for the sake of service, then there will be no need for violence before, during and after election.”
Akinremi assured of the neutrality of the police and other security agencies, adding that all all parties would be given equal protection before, during after the election.
He therefore appealed to the candidates and the political parties to conduct themselves well and avoid violence.
Speaking in similar vein, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Taraba state, Alhaji Baba Yusuf, pledged the determination and commitment of the Commission to give all parties a level playing ground.
Responding on behalf of the candidates, Mr Kefas Sule of All Blending Party (ABP), thanked the security agencies for the initiative and pledged the resolution of the candidates to stand by what they have signed.
Sule called on those who, were absent at the signing to make efforts to sign the accord with a view to having a peaceful election in the state.
The representatives of Governor Ishaku and Senator Alhassan were turned down, with the officials insisting that all candidates must sign in person, while the candidate of the APC, Danladi was not represented.