AS the gubernatorial candidates of political parties in Gombe State signed a Peace Accord for a peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, Senator Usman Bayero Nafada, has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to apply the principle of justice and fairness in the conduct of the elections.
Bayero Nafada gave the charge shortly after he and twenty-nine other governorship candidates in the state signed an undertaking to conduct themselves and their supporters peacefully before, during and after the general elections.
While pledging his commitment to a peaceful electoral process in the state, Bayero Nafada said that “Well, for myself, I am committed, whenever you are talking about peace, there must be justice, if there is no justice, the peace we are talking about will not be there.”
According to him, “This ingredient that is called justice must always be there and I believe that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is ready to do justice and if they are ready, I believe this peace accord we have just signed will work.”
Reacting on the development, the Chairman, Media and Publicity of the 2019 PDP Campaign Council in the state, Dahiru Hassan Kera said that, both the incumbent Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and Senator Bayero Nafada have done a lot in bringing peace and stability to the state since the advent of democratic rule in the country.
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‘’We are all aware that when Senator Bayero was the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, there was nothing like the Kalare political thugs and when Hassan Dankwambo came on board, he exterminated the activities of the dreaded group he inherited from the immediate previous administration and we will never allow the proponents of bitter politics to come close to power and temper with the peace we are already enjoying in the state,” he further said.
Earlier before the signing of the peace accord, the Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim said the signing of the ‘Peace Accord’ organised by INEC in conjunction with the Gombe State Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) is aimed at showing the commitment to uphold the peace ahead of the 2019 general elections in Gombe State.
According to him, “We are here today not to force an accord but understand with one another the importance of peace in our separate and collective efforts to build a prosperous Gombe State. The conduct of credible elections is our collective responsibility and our actions or inactions can either make or mar the exercise.”
While assuring INEC’s commitment to creating a level playing field for political parties regardless of religion or tribe, Alhaji Umar enjoined the candidates and their party Chairmen to make a conscious effort at ensuring that the peace enjoyed in the State is sustained over the election period and beyond.”
The Co-Chairman of ICCES and Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Garba Mukaddas, called on the parties and their candidates to honour the peace accord by remaining peaceful and speak out against violence, hate speeches and other actions that could be inimical to the peaceful conduct of the elections.
He said, security agencies would remain professional and would not compromise the processes so as to ensure the quality of the general elections.