The Taraba Independent Peace Committee on Tuesday expressed worry over threats of violence in some local government areas of the state despite the peace accord signed by 14 governorship candidates ahead of Saturday’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
At a press briefing in Jalingo, Chairman of the Taraba Independent Peace Committee, Prof. Talla Ngarka, condemned attacks on the convoy of some political parties in Takum and Wukari local government areas, urging political actors to play the game according to the rules.
“The committee is in receipt of the reports of attacks on the convoy of some political parties in Wukari and Takum local government areas and we are disturbed with these development, which is coming few days to election.
“There are also threats of violence in Donga, Wukari, Takum, Yorro, Gassol and Jalingo local government areas according to reports from independent monitors working with Initiative for Community and Human Development in Taraba State.
“We want to appeal to all the governorship candidates, party chairpersons, political stakeholders, religious and traditional rulers to prevail on their supporters, followers and subjects to give peace a chance before, during and after the elections,” he said.
The chairman said the committee and the Kukah Centre Secretariat of the National Peace Committee were not law enforcement agencies, but were committed to a peaceful society and would stop at nothing in sharing intelligence with relevant security agencies regarding threats linked to politicians and political parties.
While appealing to politicians taking part in the elections to play the game according to the rules, Ngarka noted that the intervention of the National Peace Committee and the untiring efforts of the Taraba Peace Committee led to a peaceful outcome of the just concluded presidential election in Taraba State, without violence outbreak in any part of the state.
