Political parties and their candidates will sign a peace accord next Friday before the November 16 Ondo governorship election.
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at the fourth quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society organisations at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Yakubu said that as early as next week, the INEC will undertake a final readiness assessment of its preparations for the Ondo election, meet with the commission’s officials, engage with stakeholders, and interact with the security agencies and transport providers.
“On this note, I am also glad to announce that the National Peace Committee, under the leadership of our respected former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar GFCR, is holding the signing of the Peace Accord for parties and candidates in Ondo State on Friday 8th November 2024.
“As the Ondo State Governorship approaches, I wish to remind CSOs yet to submit reports for the Edo Governorship election to do so in earnest. I also urge you to intensify your advocacy for peaceful elections, especially now that campaigns by political parties and candidates are in full swing in the State.
“Happily, no major incident of election-related violence has been known to the Commission in Ondo State so far. However, we are aware of flashpoints in some Local Government Areas to which we have already drawn the attention of the security agencies.
“At the same time, I wish to remind you of your obligations as observers by complying with the Commission’s rules of engagement for accredited election observers. I wish to reiterate that the Commission reserves the right to withdraw the accreditation of any individual observer or group that violates the Code of Conduct for election observation,” he added.