Peace Accord Committee Condemns Campaigns Of Calumny, Preaches ñon-violence

The Chairman of the National Committee on Peaceful Elections led by former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has condemned the campaign of calumny that has characterized these elections and has therefore called on key actors to retrace their steps and preach peaceful elections.

He made the call after he led his group to have an audience with President Goodluck  Jonathan Wednesday in the Presidential Villa.

Abubakar commended the President for his consistency in insisting on peaceful, free and fair elections in the country at all levels.

Explaining the purpose of the visit, the former leader told State House correspondents that the establishment of the committee followed a non-violence pact signed between the candidates of political parties, especially the President and his major contender, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, “As you are aware, early this year both President Jonathan and Gen. Buhari signed a peace accord in other to ensure there is peace during, before and ?after elections. As a result of that accord, a peace committee was set up to ensure free, fair and violence-free elections 2015.

“You can see all of here members of the committee, we have come to one see Mr. President as the Commander-Chief of the country and to tell him what we have discussed with all the stakeholders and the role he as the Commander-In-Chief has to play.

“And also what we expect him as a contestant in this race. So this is why we have been here this afternoon, we have briefed him and he has given us his assurance of conducting free, fair and violence-free elections. And this is what this committee is all about”.?

The former Head of State who confirmed that his committee would meet Gen. Buhari for the same purpose on Thursday, said “where we will get commitment to ensure that the followers, the politicians and indeed all Nigerians make sure that there is free, fair and peaceful elections.”

On the campaign of calumny despite the peace accord signed, Abubakar appealed to political actors to rein in their supporters and refrain them from conducts capable of instigating crisis in any part of the country.

His words, “But from what we have seen, this campaign has been filled with campaign of calumny? and we have talked with all the contestants, party leaders to try to get their supporters and campaign committee to please try to ensure for God’s sake let us not make these elections personal. There shouldn’t be any insults let us not play politics of bitterness and I do hope they have listened to us and they are working as much as they can, so they told us.”

President Jonathan reiterated his total commitment to ensuring peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria on Saturday and April 11.

He urged all political parties, their candidates and supporters to approach the elections with more patriotism and a greater willingness to place the larger interest of the country above personal ambitions.

The President said that the Federal Government had worked very hard over the years to promote strong democratic institutions that will sustain the country’s democracy and will not tolerate any form of violence during or after the polls that could reverse the gains of the present democratic dispensation in the country.

“My cardinal principle has always been, and still remains that the ambition of any Nigerian is not worth the blood of any body. I am not a violent person and I don’t tolerate violence in any form. I don’t believe that violence can be used to achieve anything meaningful in life.

“I am giving my total commitment to peaceful elections in the country, not because I am persuaded to do so, but because I believe in it,” he said.

The President called on religious and political leaders, community heads and other senior citizens in the country to be vociferous in condemning incidences of electoral violence in the country, such as the stoning of opponents.

President Jonathan also said that he would be quite willing to meet and sign another peace accord with the Presidential Candidate of the All Progress Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to further emphasize his total commitment to a violence-free poll on Saturday.

Other members of the delegation were Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd.), Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, Prof. Zainab Alkali, Sam Amuka-Pemu, Mrs. Priscilla Kuye and Justice Rose Ukeje.