The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the September 21 election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has promised that his party will sign the peace accord with other political parties once the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force meet all its conditions.
Ighodalo made this pledge in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, lamenting that some PDP members have been arrested and detained without being charged to court.
According to the governorship candidate, his camp will not hesitate to sign the peace accord already signed by the other parties involved in the election once his supporters were released.
“We had several conditions, most of which have now been met with one left. Many of our guys have been held unjustly.
“We think if you hold guys, you charge them or let them go on bail. So, either they charge all our guys or let them go on bail. Once that is achieved we will sign the peace accord,” Ighodalo said.
He cited lack of level playing ground as the major reason his party declined to sign the peace accord, but acknowledged that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has now assured the party of neutrality, maintaining that his camp preaches non-violence and that will not change any time.
According to report on Thursday, all political parties participating in the Edo election signed a peace accord to shun violence, but the PDP declined to participate in what has become a pre-election ritual in Nigeria’s electoral space.
Former Head of State, General Adulsalami Abubakar, who is the head of the Peace Committee, had said that PDP chieftain and outgoing governor (Obaseki) said the party won’t sign the peace pact over some allegations levelled against the police.
PDP Chairman in the state, Tony Aziegbemi, also stormed out of the peace pact venue in protest on Thursday.
He told journalists on his way out that a member of his party who doubles as Esan West Local Government Area Chairman, Collins Aigbogu, was picked up by the police days ago and had not been released.
