…as APC, others participate, append signatures
Ben Ogbemudia, Abuja
With few days to the Edo State Governorship Election, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the State has refused to sign the peace accord for the election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday, hinted about the development during a meeting with General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former military head of state and chairman of the National Peace Committee.
Obaseki alleged that the police personnel responsible for enforcing the Peace Accord were biased and had taken sides with the main opposition All Progressives Congress
He claimed that several members of the PDP, including a local government area chairman, have been detained by the police without sufficient evidence or valid cases.
“You are very conversant with the politics of Edo State. You were here in 2020, and we had a very heated election. You know this is an off-cycle election, and there is a lot of attention,” he said.
“Unlike 2020, I am very worried about the developments in the state today. The party met yesterday, and we may not sign this agreement.
“This is the first time we are witnessing that the entity supposed to maintain and enforce the peace accord is now actively creating a destructive environment.
“The opposition party in the state, the APC, has always argued that they may not be as popular and didn’t win in the last election, but they have promised to use federal power to determine the outcome of this election.
“We thought it was just rhetoric, but in the last four weeks, we’ve had a situation where from the office of the IGP, armed police gangs have entered Edo state to invade, arrest, and take away PDP members.
“As we speak, 10 PDP members are arrested and detained in Abuja without trial. Two days ago, they arrested a local government chairman.
“The chairman was heading home when he was attacked and shot at. We reported the incident, and the police asked him to provide evidence. He complied, but instead of investigating, they arrested him. As I speak, he is in Abuja.”
Meanwhile, other political parties including the All Progressives Congress APC signed the peace accord with the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, the Inspector General of Police and Abdul Salam signed as principal witnesses.
