Candidates of various political parties participating in the 2023 governorship including have signed a peace pact towards a violence-free 2023 elections.
The ceremony which held at the Police headquarters, Oyo state Command, was chaired by the Peace Accord Committee, former governor of the High Chief Rashid Ladoja.
Present at the ceremony was the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde of Peoples Democratic Party, Bayo Adelabu of Accord, Popoola Josiah of New Nigeria People’s Party.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Teslim Folarin was represented by his deputy governorship candidate, Okunlola Oluwafemi, who signed the peace accord on be half of his principal.
The Oyo state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, in his address noted that without peace there can not be an election.
He advised all candidates to maintain peaceful conducts and eschew behaviors capable of truncating the relative peace in the state.
The police boss maintain that the signing of the peace accord by all candidates of the various political parties marks the beginning of interagency security operation towards ensuring the attainment of peaceful, credible and transparent election.
The candidates were urged to commit themselves to peaceful conducts before, during, and after the general election in compliance with the electoral Act as amended.
According to the signed undertaken contained in the peace accord, political candidates who fail to fully comply by the provisions of the peace accord shall and conduct themselves in manner or manners that truncates the relative peace in the state before, during and after the general elections shall be duly prosecuted according to the provisions of the Electoral Act as amended.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the ceremony, Governor Seyi Makinde expressed delight at the development calling it first of it’s kind in the state since the Abuja peace accord.
He added that the peace accord has once again reaffirmed that the people remain the employers of all holding various public offices.
In his remarks, Adelabu told newsmen that the peace accord is a laudable development that will not only guide politicians before, during, and after the election but will also create confidence in the outcome of the election process.
