Security agencies assure peace for March 18 polls in Abia as guber candidates sign accord
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
The Abia State Police Command has assured the people of the state, political actors and other stakeholders that the Police and other security agencies would be alive to their duties to ensure that the prevailing peace in the state was not compromised for any reason during the March 18, 2023 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Mohammed Bala, gave the assurance at the Peace Accord signing ceremony by governorship candidates of various political parties in Umuahia on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
The peace accord signing ceremony was organised by the Abia State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies and paramilitary formations in the state.
About 11 governorship candidates were physically present to participate in the peace accord signing ceremony aimed at ensuring peace during the March 18 polls. The presence of the governorship candidates marked a departure from the previous exercise which was largely signed by party chairmen.
Among the governorship candidates that signed the peace accord were Chief Ambrose Okey Ahiwe of the PDP, High Chief Ikechi Emenike of APC, Enyinna Nwafor, YPP; Bishop Sunday Onuoha, ADC; Ukpai Iro Ukpai, NNPP; Chikezie Anyim, APM; Onyekwere Akym Uche, AA and Mascot Uzor Kalu, APP.
The Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Mohammed Bala, noted that the peace accord has become necessary given that the governorship/House of assembly poll was a local affair which elicits huge interest with potential for violence.
“We want the governorship candidates to come together as brothers, and work for peace,” he said, adding, “we are for peace; we are peace makers and we are ambassadors of peace.”
Bala said that the extension of the governorship poll by one week was a welcome grace period for all stakeholders to make adequate preparation to ensure a successful outcome.
He urged the candidates and the leadership of the various political parties to play by the rules, shun violence, vote buying and other malpractices inimical to peaceful election.
In his remarks, the Administrative Secretary of INEC, Mr. Clement Oha, expressed delight over the interest shown by the governorship candidates and party stakeholders to have a peaceful, free and fair poll in Abia on March 18.
He said that the February 25, 2023 Presidential/National Assembly poll was “substantially peaceful in all the 17 Abia local governments” hence the need to sustain the peace.
Oha noted that the governorship/House of assembly poll “is more contentious” than the first round of the 2023 general election but that notwithstanding, all the stakeholders should join hands to make the poll peaceful.
He promised that the electoral body would not disappoint the people of Abia as it was already making adequate arrangements to conduct peaceful, transparent and credible governorship/state assembly election in Abia, come March 18.
The state Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Council(IPAC), Hon Ceekay Igara, who spoke on behalf of the political parties, pledged that the political actors would play by the rules.
Bishop Onuoha of ADC, who spoke on behalf of the governorship candidates, commended the police and security agencies for their initiative to bring the political together to subscribe to peace.
