Taiwo Popoola
In a surprising turn of events, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has announced its decision not to sign the peace accord, just two hours before the scheduled signing ceremony.
This move is coming ahead of the September 21 governorship election, where the peace accord was intended to promote a peaceful and harmonious electoral process among contending political parties.
Urban Express News Online report that Governor Godwin Obaseki had earlier declared that his party Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, may not sign the peace accord because the party has lost faith in the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Addressing a press conference at the party secretariat, Emperor Jarret Tenebe said the party declined to sign the accord because two months after a police inspector Onuh Akor, who was the orderly to the candidate of the party, Sen Monday Okpebholo was shot and killed along Airport Road, nobody has been arrested and prosecuted.
He said instead of them being arrested, Governor Godwin Obaseki is allegedly keeping them in the government house.
Tenebe said, “This failure of the police has emboldened the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and his Peoples Democratic Party to attack members of our political party at rally grounds and in their private business premises ceaselessly.”
He claimed that the governor has made inflammatory statements that have undermined his position as the Chief Security Officer of the State.
He chronicled the various attacks the APC campaign team have suffered in different communities Akoko-Edo, Etsako Central, and Esan West local government area while mobilising supporters for the election.
“In the wake of this very worrisome and dangerous trend, Governor Obaseki kept mute and refused to condemn the attacks as the Chief Security Officer of the state. Instead, one Odion Olaye, the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress in Edo State, while in the company of Obaseki, openly threatened the country that, “Nigeria will burn if INEC fails to declare the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo as the winner of the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election.”
He mentioned several other chieftains of the PDP who he alleged have publicly boasted that they would do anything and get away with it and that the party’s petition to the police about these incidents with the names of suspects attached have not been treated.
