ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for next Saturday’s election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has affirmed that his party is willing to sign the peace accord with other political parties once certain conditions set by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force are fully met.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ighodalo expressed concerns over the arrest and detention of PDP members, emphasizing that his party’s reluctance to sign the peace agreement stemmed from these unresolved issues.
“We had a number of conditions, and most have now been met, except one. Many of our guys have been held unjustly.
“We think if you hold people, you either charge them or let them go on bail. So, either they charge all our guys and we are represented, or they let them go on bail. Once that is achieved, we will sign the peace accord”, Ighodalo said.
He attributed the PDP’s initial refusal to sign the peace accord to the lack of a level playing field.
However, Ighodalo noted that recent assurances from Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, have eased some of their concerns.
He explained, “We saw a lot of our supporters being harassed and intimidated. We saw thugs from the other party—everyone saw them on TV with weapons, and none of those guys were arrested.
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“Of course, we have a reason to feel strongly harassed and intimidated. Based on that, we felt strongly that unless a level playing ground is created, we would not sign the peace accord.”
However, Ighodalo said the party is now more optimistic after receiving personal guarantees from the police.
“But today we feel a bit better. The Inspector General of Police has given us his assurance and his word as a man of great honour that we will have a level playing field”, he said.
Ighodalo emphasized that the PDP continues to advocate for nonviolence, and their stance will not waver.
The peace accord, a customary event before elections in Nigeria, was signed by other political parties on Thursday to discourage violence during the Edo State election. However, the PDP declined to participate at that time.
Former Head of State and leader of the Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, revealed that outgoing Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, explained the PDP’s refusal to sign, citing concerns over allegations involving the police.
During the peace accord meeting, Edo State PDP Chairman Tony Aziegbemi walked out in protest, citing the arrest of Collins Aigbogu, the Esan West Local Government Area Chairman and PDP member, by the police.
Channels Television reports that Aziegbemi told journalists that Aigbogu had been detained for several days without being released.
The PDP maintains that the release of their detained members is a key condition for signing the peace pact ahead of the election.