With less than two hours before the signing of the Peace Accord aimed at ensuring a peaceful governorship election in Edo State come September 21, 2024, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared its refusal to participate.This decision comes just 12 hours after Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed similar reservations.
Governor Obaseki, during a meeting with the Chairman of the Presidential Peace Committee, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, stated that the PDP might not sign the accord due to a lack of trust in both the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He claimed that the party had lost faith in the impartiality of these institutions.
Speaking at a press conference at the APC Secretariat, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, representing the APC, outlined the reasons behind their reluctance to sign the agreement. A key issue raised was the unsolved killing of Inspector Onuh Akor, the security orderly of APC’s candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo.
Akor was shot dead over two months ago on Airport Road, and despite assurances from former Edo State Commissioner of Police Funsho that suspects were identified, no arrests have been made.
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Tenebe accused Governor Obaseki of shielding those responsible for Akor’s death, alleging that the suspects are being protected at the Edo State Government House. “This failure of the police has emboldened the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his Peoples Democratic Party to attack members of our political party,” Tenebe stated.
In addition to the killing, Tenebe accused the PDP of launching a series of violent attacks on APC members at rally grounds and private premises in communities like Akoko-Edo, Etsako Central, and Esan West Local Government Areas. He criticized Obaseki’s silence in the face of these assaults, claiming the governor has failed in his role as the Chief Security Officer of the state.
Tenebe also highlighted a recent inflammatory statement made by Odion Olaye, the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Edo State. Speaking at a rally alongside Governor Obaseki, Olaye allegedly threatened that “Nigeria will burn” if INEC does not declare the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, as the winner of the upcoming election.
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According to Tenebe, these incidents underscore the APC’s concerns about the security situation in the state and their doubts over the ability of security agencies to ensure a peaceful election. He called for immediate action by the police to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killing of Inspector Akor.
The APC’s refusal to sign the Peace Accord adds another layer of tension to an already volatile political environment ahead of the September 21 gubernatorial election in the state.