Kwara LG poll: Political parties sign peace accord

By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab

Ilorin

Ahead of Saturday’s local government elections in Kwara state, political parties in the state yesterday signed a peace accord with the state security inter-agency committee on the forth coming council election.
Nine political parties out of 11 that have shown interest in participating in the council poll were present at the ceremony held at the headquarters of Kwara state Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC) along Fate road, Ilorin.
The peace accord initiative was at the instance of the state Independent Electoral Commission.
Speaking at the event, KWSIEC chairman, Dr. Uthman Ajidagba, said the commission initiated the idea following desperation by some political parties to take control of the electoral process by all means for their own selfish interest.
Ajidagaba said the inflammatory remarks made by representatives of a political parties during one of the series of stakeholders’ meetings which the commission organised for political parties in the state prompted it to initiate the idea.
The commission boss recalled that during the meeting, ‘‘a representative of a political party rose to say that political parties are job seekers and that they would by all means.’’
Contents of the accord read to the representatives of the political parties which include but not limited to the following:
“That any person who violates electoral laws shall be apprehended and punished.
“That political parties shall educate their members on the need to ensure peaceful and violent free election while security agencies shall respond promptly to security issues before, during and after the election.”
Chairman of the state inter-agency election security committee and the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Lawan Ado, said the security agencies were ready for the conduct of the poll.
‘‘Our men and materials are ready for the elections, we are just waiting for the day to come,’’ he said.

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