Political parties fielding candidates for the Edo State, September 21, 2024 governorship election have signed a Peace Accord.
Though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate for the election, Asue Ighodalo, did not sign, other parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo, signed the Peace Accord. The Labour Party and its candidate Olumide Akpata signed as well.
Accord Party, Accord Alliance, African Action Congress, and African Democratic Congress, Action Democratic Party signed the peace pact as well.
Others include the All Progressives Congress (APC), the All Progressives Grand Alliance Grand Alliance Grand Alliance (APGA), the Allied Peoples Movement, Action Peoples Party, Labour Party, National Rescue Movement, Peoples Redemption Party, the Social Democratic Party, Youth Party, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) among others.
Former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar on Thursday at the venue of the signing of the peace accord in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said the PDP opted not to commit to a peace pact.
While thanking those who signed the peace accord, the former Head of State said, “As you must have seen in the media, I met the Governor (Godwin Obaseki) yesterday and he told me that the PDP is not going to sign this peace accord.
“They have made some observations and I was expecting the Chairman of the PDP to come and make that statement. Having waited for him this long, it is just to announce that the PDP said they are not going to sign.”
According to him, the PDP said it would only sign the peace accord if certain conditions are met.
The Chairman of the PDP in the state, Tony Aziegbemi, who was present at the venue did not explain why the party refused to sign the accord.