By Folorunsho Alagbade
Ahead of the November 16 off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State, candidates of the 17 political parties participating in the poll have signed a peace accord committing themselves to a peaceful electoral process.
All the candidates and the state chairmen of their parties signed the accord organised by the National Peace Committee in Akure, the state capital.
Candidates that signed the accord include Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa (APC), Agboola Ajayi (PDP), Gbenga Edema (NNPP), Bamidele Akingboye (SDP), Sola Ebiseni (LP), and Abass Mimiko (ZLP), among others.
While appealing to the candidates and political parties to uphold democratic tenets and kick against any form of vote trading, the chairman of the National Peace Committee, General
Abdulsalam Abubakar, stressed the need to maintain the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the country.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who expressed optimism on the continued peace, assured of improved logistics on election day, adding that no security incidents had been reported in the state.
“Furthermore, | want to encourage the good people of Ondo State to exercise their civic duty by coming out en masse to vote for the candidates of their choice and desist from selling their votes, as it contradicts the very essence of democracy.
“It remains the duty of Nigerian citizens to elect their leaders free from any inducements or prejudice.
“Political actors must also discontinue this menace of vote trading.”
The Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, represented by Deputy Inspector General of Police, in charge of South West Geopolitical Zone, DIG Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, assured of readiness for the elections and disclosed that a total of 34,657 police officers will be deployed for the poll.
“The Nigeria Police will deploy a total of 34,657 personnel to the polling units, wards/LGA collation centers as well as other strategic locations.
“It is expected that four Police personnel will be deployed at each polling unit, which then implies that 15,732 conventional police personnel will be required for the 3,933 polling units and voting points in the state.”
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