Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The upcoming Gubernatorial election in Anambra State got an early boost when Sixteen political parties and their governorship candidates signed a Peace Accord, pledging to ensure a peaceful and credible poll.
The event, supervised by former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), who was represented by General Martin Luther Agwai took place at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Awka, the state capital.
According to General Abubakar, democracy can only thrive in an environment where human lives are held sacred, stressing that the Peace Accord represents the candidates’ commitment, discipline, and responsibility toward the success of the election.
His words: “By signing this Peace Accord, you have made a pledge to put Anambra first and to ensure that the democratic process is peaceful and credible,”
The ceremony has in attendance, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, who assured that the Commission was fully prepared to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.
“This election marks my first major assignment as INEC Chairman. We are determined to deliver a process that reflects the will of the people,” Prof. Amupitan said, calling on candidates and their supporters to respect the provisions of the accord and play by the rules.
He reiterated INEC’s readiness to ensure a smooth exercise with a fine-tuned deployment of its logistics, noting that 24,000 personnel would be deployed across 5,718 polling units in 326 wards across 21 Local Government Areas.
Prof. Amupitan added that 2,802,790 voters are on the final register and confirmed that 16 political parties will participate in the poll. He further warned that the Commission, in collaboration with security agencies, would resist vote buying and prosecute offenders.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, represented by DIG Ben Okoro, cautioned non-state actors—including the Ebube Agu Vigilante Group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the Eastern Security Network (ESN)—to stay away from the election.
“Security during the governorship election remains the exclusive responsibility of federal agencies,” he said.
“Any attempt by IPOB, ESN, or any non-state actor to interfere with the election will attract an immediate, coordinated, and overwhelming law enforcement response.”
The IGP emphasized that precision intelligence operations were already in motion to identify and dismantle networks planning to disrupt the election, warning that anyone found bearing arms or conducting unauthorized security duties would be arrested and prosecuted under the Firearms Act, Criminal Code, and the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act (2022).
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Comrade Uchenna Ugwuorji, urged political parties and candidates to abide by electoral laws before, during, and after the polls. He also appealed to security agencies to act professionally and avoid intimidation of any party or candidate.
He advised candidates dissatisfied with the election outcome to seek redress through the courts, not violence.
Also speaking, the Convener of the National Peace Committee and Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah urged all political actors to honour the accord they signed to ensure a credible and violence-free election.
In his remarks, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State thanked the National Peace Committee for the initiative and called on the candidates to see the peace accord as a sacred oath.
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