Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state: NO PEACE ACCORD

 

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won't be signing the Peace Accord ahead of the state's governorship election scheduled for September 21. This decision comes amidst concerns about the partiality of the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) .

The All Progressives Congress (APC) made a surprising announcement, pulling out of the peace accord signing ceremony just two hours before it was scheduled to take place . However, it seems there's been a twist - according to recent reports, the APC actually reversed its decision and committed to the peace deal after initially declining .

It was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that ultimately refused to sign the peace accord, citing concerns over the arrest and detention of its members without trial . Governor Godwin Obaseki, the PDP leader in Edo, announced that the party wouldn't participate in the peace agreement due to these concerns .

The development has raised alarms among civil society organizations and stakeholders, who fear that the PDP's refusal to sign the peace accord could impact the credibility and fairness of the upcoming Edo State governorship election on September 21, 2024 .

Obaseki expressed worries that the police, who are responsible for enforcing the peace accord, have shown bias towards the All Progressives Congress (APC). He cited instances where PDP members were arrested and detained without trial, including the chairman of Esan West Local Government Area, Hon. Collins Aigbogun .

The Edo State PDP chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, also raised alarms about the deployment of alleged associates of former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to act as Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner and Edo Commissioner of Police .

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, however, denied allegations of police bias, stating that the force is committed to ensuring a peaceful and credible election . Despite this, Obaseki remains skeptical, questioning how the PDP can trust the police to enforce the peace accord when they have already demonstrated partiality .

The development has heightened tensions ahead of the governorship election, with many calling for neutrality and fairness from the security agencies and INEC.