JUST IN: APC Withdraws from Edo Election Peace Accord

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced its decision to withdraw from the Peace Accord ahead of the Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024. This decision was made just two hours before the signing ceremony, where all major political parties were expected to commit to a peaceful election process.

The APC’s announcement comes barely 12 hours after Governor Godwin Obaseki, while meeting with the Chairman of the Presidential Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), expressed doubts about the peace accord. Obaseki had hinted that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), might not sign the agreement due to a lack of trust in the neutrality of the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At a press briefing at the APC secretariat, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, a key party leader, outlined the reasons for the APC’s withdrawal. He cited the unresolved murder of a police inspector, Onuh Akor, who was the security aide to the party’s candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo. Akor was shot dead along Airport Road, and despite the former Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegbite, claiming to know the identities of the culprits, no arrests have been made. Tenebe alleged that the suspects are being harbored by Governor Obaseki.

“This failure of the police has emboldened Governor Obaseki and the PDP to continuously attack APC members at rallies and private business locations,” Tenebe said, further accusing the governor of making inflammatory remarks that undermine his role as Chief Security Officer of the state.

Tenebe also detailed several incidents of violence that allegedly targeted the APC campaign team in areas such as Akoko-Edo, Etsako Central, and Esan West local governments. He criticized Obaseki for remaining silent on these attacks and accused the governor of supporting threats made by Odion Olaye, the Edo State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), who reportedly warned that “Nigeria will burn” if the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, is not declared the winner of the election.

He further claimed that multiple petitions submitted to the police, detailing the names of those responsible for the attacks, have been ignored.

In his closing remarks, Tenebe stated, “Governor Obaseki’s refusal to embrace peace, coupled with the inaction of the security agencies, has created an unsafe environment for the conduct of the September 21 election.”

The withdrawal of the APC from the Peace Accord raises concerns about the stability of the upcoming election, with both major parties now casting doubts on the integrity of the process.