Candidates of various political parties participating in the 2023 governorship including have signed a peace pact towards a violence-free 2023 elections.
The ceremony which held at the Police headquarters, Oyo state Command, was chaired by the Peace Accord Committee, former governor of the High Chief Rashid Ladoja.
Present at the ceremony was the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde of Peoples Democratic Party, Bayo Adelabu of Accord, Popoola Josiah of New Nigeria People’s Party.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Teslim Folarin was represented by his deputy governorship candidate, Okunlola Oluwafemi, who signed the peace accord on be half of his principal. Barrister Sharafadeen Alli and Hon. Mojeed Olaoya of APC were also in attendance.
The Oyo state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, in his address noted that without peace there can not be an election.
He advised all candidates to maintain peaceful conducts and eschew behaviors capable of truncating the relative peace in the state.
The police boss maintain that the signing of the peace accord by all candidates of the various political parties marks the beginning of interagency security operation towards ensuring the attainment of peaceful, credible and transparent election.
The candidates were urged to commit themselves to peaceful conducts before, during, and after the general election in compliance with the electoral Act as amended.
According to the signed undertaken contained in the peace accord, political candidates who fail to fully comply by the provisions of the peace accord shall and conduct themselves in manner or manners that truncates the relative peace in the state before, during and after the general elections shall be duly prosecuted according to the provisions of the Electoral Act as amended.
In their goodwill messages, the Director General, Department of State Services (DSS) in Oyo State, Mr E.C. Okoye; the Chief Imam of Ibadan land, Sheikh Abdul Ganiyy Abubakri Agbotomokekere; and state chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Apostle (Col.) Joshua Akinyemiju (Rtd), urged the candidates to promote peace among themselves and their supporters.
