Anambra 2025: 16 political parties, candidates sign peace accord ahead of November 8 poll

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The governorship candidates during the peace accord signing ceremony in Awka

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By Madu Obi

The 16 governorship candidates contesting the November 8 election in Anambra State and their chairmen, have signed a peace accord, promising, on behalf of their supporters, to ensure a peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the election.

The signing ceremony, which took place at the International Convention Center, Awka, was witnessed by members of the National Peace Committee, headed by the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubarkar, who was represented by General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd).

Convener of the National Peace Committee, Most Rev Mathew Kukah, while addressing the audience, said the confidence of the citizens is strengthened when institutions carry out their duties effectively.

He commended the people of Anambra State for making the committee's work easy by providing the facilities used for the signing ceremony.

He also urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the country, noting that whatever happens is what God has sanctioned.

The cleric also urged the people of Anambra State to live according to their name, which is the "light of the nation" by ensuring a peaceful conduct of the governorship election.

In his speech, the state chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Committee, IPAC, Chief Uche Ugwoji appealed to the electorate to maintain an atmosphere of serenity, tranquility and non violence and shun all forms of inducement during the election.

According to him, it is in recognition of the importance of the election that INEC and the political parties have deemed it expedient to enter into the peace agreement with a view to making the election free, fair and credible.

"It is also in line with this that we of the IPAC, in exercise of our duties, have decided to offer some piece of advice aimed at making that peace realizable.

We urge the security outfits to maintain a high level of professionalism in the maintenance of law and order and refuse to be used as agents of intimidation, harassment and interference in the voting proper.

INEC officials are the the umpire and the pivot of the whole electoral process. On your shoulders rests fairness, smoothness and credibility of the election. It is therefore imperative that you achieve these feats by plugging all loopholes, including:

* Make sure that the polling cubicles are spacious enough to enable the voter go in,

thumbprint and insert the ballot paper into the ballot box provided therein, thereby, curtailing

the chances of inducement and vote buying.

*Ensure that the polling units are restricted to only your officials, party agents and

security agents.

*Employ only regular security operatives like the Nigerian Police and others of the

Federal establishment in the maintenance of law and order.

*Provide neutral grounds for collation of results, and where Local Government

Headquarters are to be used, ensuring that no political party or its officer influences the entry

and or exit of electoral personnel or material or the actual collation of the results."

Ugwoji observed that all the peace accord and electoral process would come to nothing if the candidates and their supporters are not disposed to accept the outcome of the election, when it is free and fair.

"This does not imply that you should not seek redress if you are genuinely not satisfied with the conduct of the election. All I am saying is that you should resist the temptation of inciting your supporters to violence and disruption of public peace and unnecessary litigations. Instead, accept the outcome with equanimity, outstretched hands of friendship, accord and concord", the IPAC chairman advised.

The state governor and candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Professor Chukwuma Soludo said that being the first election to be conducted by the new INEC chairman, all eyes would be on the Anambra election.

He described all the candidates as his friends, noting that "after the Saturday election, by Monday, we will be hugging each other for a successful exercise."

He said: "In Anambra we fight as if there will be no tomorrow, but at the end of the day, we see ourselves in various functions and embrace and share drinks.

INEC had done it before in this state and we believe the commission will improve on the previous exercises. We trust that the process INEC has set up will ensure free, credible and transparent election. This time around, we expect nothing short of what you had done previously.

We believe that once INEC does what it has advertised, everyone will be happy. I want to assure all stakeholders that the candidates are ready and we hope that this first election under Professor Joash Amupitan will be the best election ever, in terms of transparency, due process, integrity of all the processes".

He thanked Bishop Mathew Kukah for initiating this peace accord, stating, "The agreement we just signed is very important for our democratic process and we hope that all those who signed it will take every word in it seriously. We should make the document available to all our party members, internalize and see it as a sacred oath."

The governor also thanked the Police for assuring Anambra people of security during the election, saying that Anambra people are prepared to cooperate with security agencies to ensure the success of the polls.

"If all of us commit ourselves to ensure that the election is successful, our people will be happy", Soludo said.