Fourteen presidential aspirants for the February 14 election including President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Major-General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, yesterday, signed an undertaking to ensure free, fair and credible polls and run issue-based campaigns.
The candidates made this pledge during a sensitisation workshop themed: “2015 General Elections: Sensitization workshop on Non-Violence”. Key speakers at the workshop included: a former Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyoaku and Nigeria's former permanent representative at the UN, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
Other aspirants who signed the peace pact included: Tunde Anifowose Kelani of the Action Alliance, AA; Dr. Rafiu Salau of Alliance for Democracy, AD; Ganiyu Galadima of Alliance Congress, AC; Alhaji Mani Ibrahim Ahmad of ADC; Chief Sam Eke of Citizens Popular Party, CPP; Ambrose Albert Oworu of Hope Party; Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya of KOWA party and Chief Chekwas Okorie of the United Progressives Party, UPP.
Speakers at the event advised the contestants against making inciting speeches that could lead to a violent outcome
The Abuja Accord read: “We the undersigned presidential candidates of the under-listed political parties contesting in the general elections of 2015; desirous of taking proactive measures to prevent electoral violence before, during and after the elections; anxious about the maintenance of a peaceful environment for the 2015 general elections; reaffirming our commitment to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; desirous of sustaining and promoting the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity; determined to avoid any conduct or behaviour that will endanger the political stability and national security of Nigeria; determined to place national interest above personal and partisan concerns; and reaffirm our commitment to fully abide by all rules and regulations as laid down in the legal framework for elections in Nigeria, hereby commit ourselves and our party to the following:
*To run issue-based campaigns at national, state and local government levels; in this, we pledge to refrain from campaigns that will involve religious incitement, ethnic or tribal profiling; both ourselves and agents acting in our names.
*To refrain from making, or causing to make our names or that of our party, any public statements, pronouncements, declarations or speeches that have the capacity to incite any form of violence, before, during and after the elections.
*To commit ourselves and political parties to the monitoring of the adherence to this accord by a national peace committee made up of respected statesmen and women, traditional and religious leaders.
*All institutions of government including INEC and security agencies must act and be seen to act with impartiality and to forcefully and publicly speak out against provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence whether perpetrated by our supporters and/or opponents.”
The former UN boss stated that “Aside being the eighth largest exporter of oil, Nigeria has become a player in telecoms, agriculture and in banking. She is a major contributor to UN peace-keeping and is now at the UN Security Council. You can’t abstain from voting and then complain.”
He advised contestants to “focus on party policies and not on individuals. Avoid inflammatory languages and don’t use ethnicity and religion to gain political sympathies.
“Nigeria doesn’t want to repeat the experience of Kenya where violence took them back several years. 2015 will confirm Nigeria’s progress in the eyes of the world. The stakes are high but I know Nigeria can rise to the challenge. Nigeria’s success is Africa’s success. Nigeria has the future of Africa in her hands, make Africa proud”, Annan said.
Speaking also, Chief Emeka Anyaoku said the workshop couldn't have come at a better time considering the violence that has characterized many previous elections in the country.
“Regrettably, we cannot deny that in our country we have history of violence occurring before, during and after elections. Already, explosion, burning of buses have been reported in some states, and we are also witnessing increasingly acrimonious pronouncement by candidates and spokespersons of political parties. Nigeria and its 2015 general elections are in the eyes of the international community”, he said.
1 comment:
hope they honour this agreement
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