Prominent Nigerians and political parties have continued to react to the signing of a peace pact, now referred to as “Abuja Accord” by President Goodluck Jonathan, General Mohammadu Buhari and nine other presidential aspirants, committing themselves to violence free elections next month.
While some Nigerians praised the peace accord, others see it as an exercise in futility as it cannot hold waters.
Aside the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP that described the peace pact as an evidence of its irrevocable commitment to peace and the progress of the nation at all times, notable Nigerians such as former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Professor Tam David-West; a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav; constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN); Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin and the Labour Party scribe, Mr Kayode Ajulo have also hailed the pact.
On a contrary opinion however, Mr. Femi Falana and Archbishop Olubunmi Okogie dismissed the signing of the agreement, saying it was a wasteful exercise.
Also commenting on the signing of the pact, Abubakar Tsav said it was a welcome development as the peace accord was capable of bringing about a healthy conduct of the elections. He however added that except the security agencies are impartial and civilized in the discharge of their duties, during the elections, the good intentions of President Jonathan maybe jeopardized by them.
For Prof. Tam David-West, said the pact was heartwarming but says President Jonathan must demonstrate concretely to Nigerians that he is committed to conducting violence free elections.
“It is a welcome development but it is shameful that after so many years of existing as a nation, Nigerians have not learnt how to live peacefully. It is shameful that they are signing accord on how to remain peaceful. Having non-violence elections should have been part of our political culture. Much as I am happy that they signed the agreement, implementation is where we should focus on. Implementation of what they agreed upon is the issue.”
Legal luminary, Prof. Sagay described the signing of the accord as goodness, saying it is superior to the law.
Sagay said: “It is morally binding; it is superior to the law because this is a question of not only of conscience but also of integrity and honour. For me, it is superior to any law because any act of violence is a crime already.”
The Labour Party described the peace accord as a good omen for Nigeria’s democracy but said it should go beyond the photo hugs.
The party’s National Secretary, Mr Kayode Ajulo, said: “It is a welcome development. We are happy and we are sure that the entire people of Nigeria are happy. This is one of the issues the Labour Party has been canvassing. We need to eschew violence; we need to ask for peace.
“Elections should not be a do-or-die affair. One of the things I will urge the participant is that this should go beyond the photo hugs; they should put it into play. It is easy for them to smile and ask their supporters to do something else. This should go down to the ward and unit levels.”
For Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, the pact is more of moral issues.
Speaking on the pact, the group’s Spokesman, Yinka Odumakin said: “Like somebody said that it is a shame for us as a country, 54 years after independence, we still have to ask international bodies to come and help us sign treaties. That is the bitter truth of it.
“We believe in Afenifere that the peace pact is not legally binding on anybody. It is not a legal document; it is more of a moral issue. If we all decide that we have non-violence elections, the politicians must be guided in their utterances and Nigerians must not allow themselves to be used for violence.”
Okogie and Falana however faulted the signing of the peace pact, saying it will not work.
According to them, there is nothing in the signed agreement that can stop voters in Lagos, Borno or any other part of Nigeria from becoming violent if their votes did not count at the forthcoming general elections.
Okogie said: “The peace pact signed by President Jonathan and Buhari will not work. They think we are fools and can deceive us,”
Both Okogie and Falana agreed that it was wrong for President Jonathan and Buhari to sit in Abuja or any part of the country and speak for the masses of Nigerians who are willing to express their minds through the ballot boxes.
Okogie said: “The event was a waste of time as none of those who signed the peace accord could be made to account for any uprising that may happen after the elections. The country should be concerned about ensuring that electoral offenders and those against the progress of Nigeria are prosecuted rather than signing an accord that will never work. Out of all these politicians, I don’t see anyone of them worthy to lead the country. Anyone who wants to lead the country must be a father to the people in its true words and see Nigerians as his family. Every citizen’s problem must be his problem.”
Toeing a similar line, a Second Republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, said the peace accord will be useless except the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Police and the Presidency make sincere efforts to conduct free and fair elections.
Speaking further, Mohammed said those who are calling for peace must warn INEC and the police to be circumspect during and after elections to avoid mayhem as Nigerians will not stand and watch elections being rigged this time.
He said: “The peace accord between the two gentlemen means absolutely nothing if the government in power tries to use INEC and the Police to rig out the opposition. Some of us still believe strongly that INEC is partisan and General Buhari raised some very pertinent issues which I believe we must all listen to because he has contested elections severally, so he knows where the shoe pinches”.
Comments