No fewer than 10 governorship candidates in Adamawa have signed a peace accord ahead of the 2023 general election.
Ten of the 15 gubernatorial candidates fielded by political parties signed the peace accord at a ceremony on Saturday in Yola.
The event was being organised by the Police and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Hudu Ari said the aggreement aimed at ensuring free, fair, credible and peaceful election in the state.
“I, therefore, implore you each to ensure peace before, during and after the election.
“Electoral violence is a great threat to free, fair and credible election,” he said, adding that violent free election would benefit the state.
According to Ari, the signing of peace accord is a commitment by all candidates towards conduct of issue base campaign through the sprit of sportsmanship by recognising that only one candidate will emerge as winner at the end of the exercise.
He tasked political parties and their candidates to shun hate speech and educate voters on polling procedures and orderliness.
Ari reitrated commitment of the Commission towards conducting free, fair and credible elections.
The Adamawa Commissioner of Police, Mr Sikiru Akande commended the parties and their candidates for peaceful electioneering campaigns and urged them to sustain the tempo.
He said there was no political violence recorded since the commencement of the campaign in the state.
“For us, the security services will not do anything to make the level playing ground unfair to any body.
“And when we achieve that, about 90 per cent of the election problems will be over,” he said, stressing that no meaningful development could be achieved without peace.
Also, Director, Department of State Security Service (DSS), Babagana Bulama urged political parties and their candidates to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship, and play the game by the rules to ensure peace before, during and after the elections.
“Peace is the foundation of development, hence the need for all to understand and abide by the laws”.
(NAN)
