Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has expressed concern over the failure of some political parties and candidates to sign the Peace Accord ahead of the September 21, 2024, Edo State Governorship Election....READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
Speaking in Benin City during the Edo Election Security Townhall organized by Channels Television, Kimpact Development Initiative, and the UK International Development, Kukah said this failure sends a “wrong signal” to Nigerians.
While 17 political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP), candidates participated, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) refused to participate in the pre-election peace ritual, citing grievances with the police.
Kukah, a key figure in the National Peace Committee, chaired by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, noted that while the peace accord is a moral and symbolic gesture, it is not legally binding.
“The National Peace Committee… it’s not law; it’s moral. You can’t compel people to fall in love or love their neighbour,” Kukah stated.
Reflecting on past elections, he added that in the 2019 presidential election, PDP candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar initially missed the signing but later appeared. Similarly, the current president, Bola Tinubu, did not personally sign the Peace Accord during his candidacy, but was represented by his then-running mate, Kashim Shettima.
Kukah warned that refusing to sign the Peace Accord sends the wrong message and could be exploited by opponents.
“The only thing it does to you as a candidate is that it sends a wrong signal which can be very easily exploited by the opposition,” he concluded.
