ABOUT 42 political parties on Monday threatened not to take part in signing a fresh peace pact ahead of the Saturday’s presidential election.

They listed eight conditions that must be included in the document before they will sign.

The signing of the accord, which is expected to be witnessed by a former United States President, Bill Clinton, is slated for Wednesday.

But the political parties are asking that the National Peace Committee include eight conditions in the agreement before they will agree to sign.

They listed the conditions to include a warning that security agencies do not clamp down on opposition leaders ahead of the elections, that what they described as politically-motivated Police postings be changed, and that no election result shall leave polling units without being announced and pasted on the wall in accordance with the Electoral Act, among other conditions.

The parties’ position was contained in a statement signed on their behalf by the Chairman of Action Peoples Party, Imo Ugochinyere; National Chairman of Alliance National Party, Mashood Shittu; National Chairman, People’s Coalition Party, Anthony Harmattan; and National Chairman, Action Alliance, Kenneth Udeze.

The statement read, “Forty-two political parties are planning to boycott/stage a walkout during the final peace accord signing billed to be witnessed by former USA President Bill Clinton on Wednesday, unless the National Peace Committee includes the following conditions for free, fair and credible election inside the accord.

“The conditions are that it must be included in the accord that security agencies should not arrest leaders of the opposition parties few hours to election, as was done in Osun governorship election.

“That the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies must not exclude opposition parties’ agents from collation venues from polling unit to the final collation level.

“That it will be a breach of the accord for any security agencies to arrest agents of opposition parties or stop them from accessing the venue of election and collation.

“That accreditation must be done with party agents physically monitoring the identification of the voters.

“That INEC should be allowed by security agencies to do their work without interference in accordance with Electoral Act.

“That no result shall leave the polling unit without being announced and pasted on the wall in accordance with the Electoral Act.

“That politically-motivated police postings should be discontinued and reversed like the case of the posting of the security aide of APC chieftain, Bola Tinubu as Kwara Commissioner of Police.

“That INEC must ensure unrestricted access to agents of parties fielding candidates to the situation room and pilot phase of e-collation at all levels of collation up to national headquarters to ensure transparency.” – Punch

– Feb. 11, 2019 @ 15:03 GMT |