As Electoral Violence Threatens Peace Accord With the attacks on political parties’ rallies in some parts of the country, the signing of the Peace Accord by the 18 presidential candidates conte
With the attacks on political parties’ rallies in some parts of the country, the signing of the Peace Accord by the 18 presidential candidates contesting the 2023 elections might not guarantee credible and violence-free polls in the country next year, isturbed by increasing violence at campaign rallies and the growing resort to incendiary comments barely four weeks after signing a Peace Accord by political parties, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission , Prof.
“Parties, candidates and their supporters should not by acts of commission or omission further complicate the prevailing security situation in the country. A peaceful electioneering campaign is critical to the conduct of peaceful and credible elections. The Kaduna attack coincided with the day the leadership of LP raised the alarm over the incessant attacks on its members across the country and went further to call on President Muhammedu Bubari to declare a state of emergency in Delta State where the party accused the PDP in the state of acts of intimidation and open assault on its members in the state.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu, had during the signing emphasised that the essence of peace pact was to commit all presidential candidates, political parties, and their spokespersons to focus on national developmental issues rather than insults and violence.
The attacks have further confirmed reservations earlier made by analysts and even some presidential candidates that political actors might not subscribe to the standards set either by the National Peace Committee or INEC. The 2023 polls will be the first elections since 1999 where three major political parties whose presidential candidates came from the three dominant ethnic groups will be going into a presidential election, leaving political pundits befuddled as to where the pendulum will swing. This means that it will be an uphill task for the National Peace Committee, including INEC to achieve the goals they are set out for.