Tinubu missed out on signing peace accord, we can’t force Edo PDP — Kukah

Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has expressed concern over the failure of political parties and their candidates to sign the Peace Accord aimed at curbing electoral violence.

Speaking at the Edo Election Security Townhall in Benin City, Bishop Kukah noted that the absence of a commitment to the accord sends a troubling message to Nigerians.

The town hall was organized by Channels Television in collaboration with the Kimpact Development Initiative and the UK International Development.

Seventeen political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP), are set to participate in the Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) refused to sign the peace agreement, citing concerns about alleged police misconduct.

Bishop Kukah, a member of the National Peace Committee led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, emphasized that while the peace accord has been a long-standing tradition in Nigeria’s elections, candidates cannot be forced to sign it.

“The National Peace Committee, what we do is not in the Electoral Act, it’s not law; it’s moral. You can’t compel people to fall in love or love their neighbour.

“If you go back to the 2015 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar the presidential candidate for the PDP, was not there to sign the Peace Accord. And of course, the opposition went to town, which is what it ought to be, and the next day, he (Atiku) turned up to sign.

“What is also very interesting is that the current president, when he was a presidential candidate, did not sign; it wasn’t our fault that the political opposition didn’t take advantage of it,” Kukah said.

“It’s a pity but we are not going to take anybody to court for not signing the Peace Accord. The only thing it does to you as a candidate is that it sends a wrong signal which can be very easily exploited by the opposition,” he added.

In September 2022, former Lagos governor and 2023 APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, did not sign the Peace Accord penned by his contenders. His then-running and ex-Borno governor Kashim Shettima was said to have represented him.