President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, assured the presidential candidates in Saturday’s election of a level playing ground, saying he will adopt a neutral position as he had earlier done in off-season governorship elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Anambra states.
LEADERSHIP recalls that candidates of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) won the governorship polls in those states.
The president made this comment yesterday during the signing of a peace accord by all the presidential candidates, including Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, facilitated by the Kukah Centre and the National Peace Committee (NPC).
He also warned that he would not condone any breakdown of the law and order.
This is as the co-convener of the NPC and former Nigerian head of state, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, stated categorically that the presidential candidates did not honour the previous peace accord they signed last year. He, however, said that 44 per cent violation of the previous peace accord was from the spokesmen of the presidential candidates.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan also lent his voice and advised the contestants to be ready to accept defeat.
But Buhari, who spoke after the signing of the agreement, said he will continue to act with neutrality and allow the rule of law to take precedence over political expediency as far as the 2023 elections are concerned.
Buhari said he demonstrated neutrality at the off-season elections in Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, adding that his administration allowed Nigerians to decide who should govern them.
“My government is committed to the legacy of neutrality till the very last day,” Buhari said.
Buhari expressed gratitude to the chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and all the members for their commitment and sacrifices to support peaceful elections in Nigeria.
He said, “I am aware of the deep concerns that have been raised about the conduct of the 2023 general elections and the outcomes they may throw up. However, since my assumption into office, my government has worked so hard to ensure that we pass on a legacy of free, fair, credible, safe, and peaceful elections.
‘”We will continue to act with neutrality and allow the rule of law to take precedence over political expediency. We have demonstrated that with the off-cyccle elections in Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. We allowed Nigerians to decide who should govern them. We are committed to this legacy till the very last day of my administration,” Buhari said.
Buhari further assured INEC, the security agencies and all relevant institutions saddled with the responsibility of conducting the elections, of his n administration’s continuous support.
He asked them to be firm and courageous, and to abide by the laws and constitutional provisions in conducting the elections.
“We must constantly improve our electoral process using technology and all the positive elements it brings to consolidate the integrity of the elections.
“I implore the candidates contesting in these elections at all levels to respect the choice of voters and accept the result of the elections as announced by INEC, the agency empowered by law to do so. Any aggrieved candidate should resort to the established judicial processes, and we must have the confidence to trust our legal systems. I once again ask the candidates to abide by the spirit and letter of the Accord they have signed until today,” he said.
Earlier yesterday, Buhari had held discussions with the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The discussion was, according to Buhari, at the instance of the chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, explaining that it was all part of the efforts to make sure the elections hold successfully.
The president hinted at the conversation while explaining his few minutes of lateness to the commissioning and handover of security equipment valued at over N12 billion to the military and Nigeria Police Force.
“I’m being grounded by INEC. You know next Saturday is a great day for us and I take instructions from INEC so that I make sure there’ll be no excuses for the successful election”, Buhari had told his guests.
You Didn’t Obey Previous Peace Accord, Abdulsalami Tells Candidates
Meanwhile, at the peace accord signing, Abdulsalami Abubakar said that on September 29, 2022, the National Peace Committee organised the first signing of the National Peace Accord committing the candidates to engage in issues-based campaigns.
Abubakar also said the peace committee monitored the compliance of the Accord by politicians and that it recorded some infractions that were a thing of concern.
He said, “There was a lack of compliance by the major political parties. Forty-four percent of the violations were carried out by the spokespersons of the political parties; twenty-six percent by party members; nineteen percent by the presidential candidates themselves; eleven percent by hardcore supporters and four percent by chairmen of the parties.
“Additionally, this January alone, a lot of violence has occurred, with at least 15 abductions (including one police officer) and at least 30 killings (including 11 security personnel) and there were at least six attacks at political campaign rallies.
“In December 2022, INEC said it had recorded 50 incidents of attacks on its offices from 2019 to 2022. According to data released by the commission, Imo State has (11), Osun (7), Enugu (5), Akwa Ibom (5), Ebonyi (4), Cross River (4), and Abia (4), Anambra (2), Taraba (2), Kaduna (1), Borno (1), Bayelsa (1), Ondo (1), Lagos (1), and Ogun (1).
“As a nation, we have to put a stop to all these. That is why on 20th January, 2022, we convened a meeting of the presidential candidates and the party chairmen to discuss existing and emerging issues regarding the way the campaigns were conducted, and the need for parties to moderate their views.
“Now that the elections are only a few hours away, we are here to witness the second signing of the National Peace Accord to commit the presidential candidates and their party chairmen to accept the outcome of the elections as long as it is adjudged to be free, fair, and credible, and to seek legitimate and peaceful means of addressing any concern that may arise thereafter.”
You Must Accept The Outcome, Says Jonathan
Also, former President Goodluck Jonathan called on the presidential candidates to be ready to accept the results of the polls.
In his submission, which was read by Bishop Matthew Kukah Jonathan the accord consolidates the effort of statutory structures like INEC in conducting peaceful and credible elections.
He said, “Today’s accord commits all the presidential candidates, chairmen and members of the political parties to accept the outcome of the elections, as long as it is judged to be free, fair and credible.
“In the build up to the 2015 general elections, myself and my successor, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, signed a similar accord, committing ourselves to free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.
“We also made it very clear in the second Peace Accord that we would abide by the outcome of the votes. I believed that was the way to strengthen our democracy, stave off looming violence and bring peace to our nation.”
Jonathan also said there was no better time to make the commitment than now, given the considerable levels of tension and apprehension so far experienced in the build-up to the elections.
On his part, the co-convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, said the growing international interest in the nation’s elections is a source of great encouragement, a pointer to how much hope has been reposed in Nigeria.
“We have five former African Heads of State here and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth. We thank Your Excellencies and all the Members of the International Observer Missions. Our political actors need this pressure to compel our political actors to raise the moral tempo of politics and to improve the quality of the lives of our people,” Kukah said.
Meanwhile, INEC has begun the distribution of sensitive materials across the states of the federation.
Among the states which received INEC materials yesterday were Niger, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Borno, Osun and Delta.
Atmosphere Right For Election – Security Council
Also yesterday, the National Security Council (NSC) expressed satisfaction with the level of security across the country, insisting that the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold as scheduled, in a safe atmosphere.
The attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, and the inspector-general of police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the meeting of the council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
According to them, the members expressed satisfaction with the situation and agreed that the elections are good to go.
Malami said the meeting was fully briefed by the Chief of Defence Staff, the three service chiefs, the IGP and heads of other security agencies, about their readiness to provide the necessary security back up for Saturday’s poll.
He said flowing from this, the Council gave a marching order that the February 25 election should hold as planned.
According to him, the Council’s meeting was a follow up to earlier meetings of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the Council of State held last week to affirm the readiness of the electoral body, INEC, and the police and security agencies to go ahead with the general elections in the country.
“Now out of desire to further consolidate and appraise the comprehensive and general preparation of the system, relating to the conduct of the election, this meeting, which is the third in a series of appraising and reviewing the state of preparedness, is called upon by the President, which is the National Security Council meeting.
“The summary and conclusion of all submissions was to the effect that the system is wholeheartedly ready for the conduct of the election, and arising there from the position of the government, the position of the President is to the effect that the election is holding of the 25th day of February, 2023 and Mr. President and the National Security Council are happy with the preparations on the ground, and wholehearted arrangements are put in place in that direction,” he said.
IGP Baba reeled out the instructions given to security agencies to make the elections credible, peaceful and acceptable, including ensuring that Nigerians have an atmosphere where they can go out to cast their votes without intimidation, as well as provide adequate security to INEC, its staff and materials, among others.
“As for specific instructions, yes we have specific instructions. The specific instruction is that we must ensure that Nigerians are allowed to come out and exercise their franchise or vote for the leaders of their choice and for that we must create a conducive environment or atmosphere for Nigerians to exercise their right,” IGP Baba said.
