Ahead of the July 16, 2022 Osun governorship election, 13 political parties on Wednesday signed a peace accord toward peaceful conduct of the poll.
Some of the parties included the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Action Alliance (AA).
Speaking at the ceremony organised by the National Peace Committee in Osogbo, Bishop Matthew Kukah, urged all political parties featuring at the election to work toward peace.
Kukah said Nigeria was in need of a peaceful environment and hence the need to encourage political actors to think toward peace.
He noted that violence has been one of the fundamental threats to Nigeria’s democracy, adding that civil society organisations, religious groups, traditional institutions and other key actors have a role to play in achieving peace in Nigeria.
Kukah further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political actors and other stakeholders to ensure that the election is free, fair and peaceful.
For his part, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the success of the peace accord depended on all stakeholders.
Yakubu pointed out that INEC has taken steps to ensure credible election on July 16 and appealed to all candidates to strive hard to abide by the peace accord.
Furthermore, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, promised that the election would witness an improved security situation over that of Ekiti.
Baba, represented by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Mr Johnson Kokumo, assured of a level playing ground for all candidates.
(NAN)
