Twelve political parties in Ogun State have signed a peace accord with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the February 25 and March 11, 2023 elections. The accord was formalised on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ forum in Abeokuta, the state capital. The parties that signed include the Accord, Action Alliance, African Alliance Congress, African Democratic Congress, Action Democratic Party, All Progressives Congress, Allied People’s Movement, People’s Democratic Party, People’s Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, National Rescue Movement, and All Peoples Party.
During the forum, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Niyi Ijalaye, urged all political parties to educate their supporters about the importance of avoiding electoral violence. He explained that INEC has implemented several measures to ensure a smooth voting process, such as training security personnel, sensitising community leaders to help voters verify their polling units, and distributing a soft copy of the voter register to all cleared parties.
Dr. Ijalaye emphasized, “Security personnel have been trained to keep peace during the elections. We appeal to all political parties to educate their followers on the need to allow peace to reign and understand that elections are not a do‑or‑die affair. We seek the cooperation of the people of Ogun State on election days—vote peacefully, promote peaceful elections, and ensure that peace prevails even after results are announced.”
In addition to the political parties, the stakeholders’ forum was attended by civil‑society organisations, security agencies, traditional rulers, human‑rights bodies, and other representatives.
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