As the people of Ondo State (southwestern region of Nigeria) prepare to march to the polls for the governorship election scheduled for October 10, 2020, candidates participating in the election have signed a peace pact as part of efforts to ensure that the poll remains credible and violence-free.
At the ceremony which was organised as a collaborative effort between the National Peace Committee (NPC) and Nigeria’s election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 11 political parties committed to ensuring a free and fair election in the state, with professionalism, impartiality, and transparency serving as the watchwords for the polls.
The accord also saw candidates promising “to insulate state agencies, institutions and public officers from supporting partisan interests in any form, as well as the full application of national and international laws against subversion of the electoral process, incitement to violence or other offenses that may compromise the integrity of the ballot and the security of Nigerians and non-Nigerians before, during and after the elections.”
Power Belongs To The Voters
While dismissing misgivings against INEC, Prof. Yakubu assured the people that their votes would count in the election, saying; “Our commitment is to ensure that the choice of who becomes the next Governor of Ondo State is entirely in the hands of the voters.
“I wish to assure all eligible voters that every vote will count and only the choice made by the people of Ondo State will determine the outcome of the election. I want to assure political parties and candidates that we will remain focused on our processes and procedures. The commission will not take any action to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate.”
US Issues Warning
Meanwhile, the United States (US) has warned INEC, security agencies, and all political parties participating in the poll to ensure credible, free, fair, and violence-free elections in the state. On Tuesday, the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria, through a statement, tasked critical stakeholders to “take concrete steps to ensure a peaceful election that reflects the will of the people of Ondo.”
The US Government has since placed a visa ban on any politician culpable of stoking violence in the forthcoming election.
This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral reform and political trends in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
