Like its rival All Progressives Congress (APC), the Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), did not participate in the signing of the peace accord organised by the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee for the 18 political parties and their candidates in the September 21 governorship election in the state.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Like its rival All Progressives Congress (APC), the Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), did not participate in the signing of the peace accord organised by the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee for the 18 political parties and their candidates in the September 21 governorship election in the state.
Despite being present throughout the event at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin, the state PDP chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi and the party’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, avoided signing the accord.
They rather protested to the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, who was overseeing the signing, and then repeated their protest to Gen. Abubakar, ultimately deciding not to participate.
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Abubakar later announced that Aziegbemi and Ighodalo gave some undisclosed conditions, which they insisted must be met before they would later move to Abuja to sign the peace accord.
The ceremony, was attended by prominent figures including former Head of State Gen. Abubakar, Inspector-General of Police Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and Bishop Kukah, among others.
The governor, Godwin Obaseki, had earlier on Wednesday, indicated that the PDP might not sign the peace accord today on Thursday, September 12, because the agency, the police, responsible for enforcing the accord had, through their actions, shown that they were acting in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and waging war against the PDP.
Obaseki spoke when he received Gen. Abubakar, who was on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Benin.
Aziegbemi earlier raised the alarm over the deployment of associates of an ex-Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to act as INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, and the state’s Commissioner of Police, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, in the lead up to the September 21 governorship election in Edo.
