Candidates in the November 6 Anambra governorship election, have signed a peace accord in Awka, the state capital, Thursday.
The candidates, alongside their respective party chairman were present at the peace event organised by the national peace committee under the Chairmanship of former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) and the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah.
Also present at the event is Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
During the event, the candidates pledged to ensure that the election is peaceful, free, fair and credible.
The candidates present at the event include Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Ifeanyi Uba of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Others are; Godwin Maduka of the Accord Party (AP), Etiaba Chukwuogo of the Action Alliance (AA), Nwankwo Chidozie of the African Action Congress (AAC), Onyejegbu Okwudili of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ohajimkpo Emeka of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Ezenwafor Victor of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Nnamdi Nwawuo of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Uzo Godwin of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Okonkwo Francis of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Speaking at the ceremony, Bishop Kukah appealed to the candidates to avoid bloodshed in the Saturday election, calling on all parties to embrace tranquility during the exercise.
The renowned Bishop who used the biblical illustration of ‘Cain and Abel’, urged the political parties and electorate to abide by the rules and regulation laid down by INEC.
In his words, “First of all, I want to thank the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood. His tenacity and commitment. He has made the credibility of the institution he represents quite easy for many of us. Let me use the word follow him and support him.
“I want to thank the staff of INEC for their dedication, commitment. I am mighty convinced that in a few years, we will turn the corner. let us remain in this part and to the good people of Anambra.
“I stand here as a catholic priest. This environment is predominantly catholic, Anglican and predominantly Christian. We have a duty, we have a responsibility to access the fact that blood, bloodshed has no biblical justification that is the story of Cain and Abel, and I just hope and pray that the young people of Anambra and the people of Anambra, in general, will do what needs to be done.
“The DIG has already told you the level of their preparedness. Let it be that for this election, police are not a threat to the facilitators. May God bring peace to Anambra and we plead and plead that nobody would lose his life in the course of just going out to do what is taken for granted in other parts of the world. Please, if you don’t want to vote, it is not by force, you can stay at home.”
