By Chinwe Onuigbo, Awka
Political parties and their candidates contesting the November 8 Anambra State governorship election have signed a peace accord pledging to maintain peace before, during, and after the polls.
The signing ceremony, held on Monday at the International Convention Centre in Awka, was organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC), chaired by Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd), and supervised by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah.
Represented by General Martin Luther Agwai, General Abubakar said the peace accord symbolizes a commitment to discipline, responsibility, and respect for human life — values essential to sustaining democracy.
“Our democracy can only thrive where human lives are held sacred,” he said, urging candidates to honour their pledges and allow the will of the people to prevail.
Sixteen political parties, including the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and others, participated in the event.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, in his address, described the Anambra election as his first major assignment, pledging that the commission would conduct “a free, fair, transparent, and peaceful election.”
Amupitan announced that INEC had approved a final voter register of 2,802,790 voters, with 24,000 personnel to be deployed across 5,718 polling units and 326 ward collation centres in the state’s 21 local government areas.
He assured them that logistics had been fine-tuned to prevent the delays experienced in previous elections and vowed that the commission would collaborate with security agencies to curb vote-buying.
Representing the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Deputy Inspector General Benjamin Okolo said security agencies had developed a coordinated plan to protect both voters and election materials.
He announced that police protection would be withdrawn from VIPs and political appointees on election day to prevent abuse of security privileges.
“The peace of Anambra State is non-negotiable,” he declared.
The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Uchenna Ugwuorji, appealed to candidates to respect democratic principles and maintain decorum, urging them to seek redress in court rather than resorting to violence if disputes arise.
In his remarks, Bishop Kukah praised stakeholders for their commitment to peace, describing the accord as “a hand-holding exercise aimed at making democracy more functional and credible.”
He urged candidates to demonstrate sportsmanship and warned against intimidation or vote-buying.
Speaking on behalf of all candidates, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, the APGA candidate, expressed gratitude to the NPC and INEC, pledging to abide by the rules governing the election.
“This peace accord is not just a formality; it is a sacred commitment,” Soludo said. “If each of us honours what we have signed, Anambra will once again set an example of democratic maturity for Nigeria.”
The peace accord signing marks a significant step toward fostering harmony, mutual trust, and a credible electoral process as Anambra prepares for the November 8 governorship polls.