Story Summary:
- Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah states that candidates cannot be forced to sign the peace accord for the 2024 Edo governorship election, as the National Peace Committee lacks legal authority.
- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has opted out of the peace accord, which is a common pre-election practice, sending a negative signal according to Kukah.
- Kukah noted that President Bola Tinubu also declined to sign the accord when he was a candidate and emphasized that while the committee cannot enforce signing, the refusal may be used against candidates by opponents.
Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has declared that candidates cannot be coerced into signing a peace accord for the upcoming 2024 Edo governorship election.
The peace accord, advocated by the National Peace Committee led by former Nigerian Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, is intended to encourage non-violence during elections.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has opted out of this pre-election peace accord, a practice that has become customary over the past decade.
Speaking at the Edo Election Security Townhall programme in Benin City on Sunday, Bishop Kukah, a member of the National Peace Committee, emphasised that the committee lacks the authority to compel candidates to sign the accord.
Kukah expressed disappointment over the PDP’s decision not to sign, describing it as a negative signal to the public. He also noted that President Bola Tinubu, during his candidacy, also declined to sign the accord.
“The National Peace Committee’s role is not governed by the Electoral Act or any law; it is a matter of moral persuasion. You cannot force individuals to exhibit neighbourly love,” Kukah remarked.
He recalled that during the 2015 elections, PDP’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar initially refused to sign the Peace Accord but later complied after public outcry. Kukah added, “Interestingly, the current president did not sign the accord when he was a candidate, but it was not our responsibility if the opposition chose not to capitalise on this.”
Kukah concluded that while the committee will not pursue legal action against candidates for not signing, their refusal sends a detrimental message that could be exploited by opponents.
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