From Yakubu Busari,Jos
Ahead of tomorrow’s Plateau South Senatorial bye-election in Plateau State to fill the vacate seat occasioned by the death of late Senator Ignatius Dating Longjan, ten ) political parties that filed candidates for the election signed a peace accord pact pledging their commitment towards a peaceful and violence free election.
The peace accord which was organized by Voice Out Vanguard and CPSST in collaboration with Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Plateau state chapter, held at Youth Center, Shendam Local Government Area.
The event drew Chairmen of the parties including Labour Party, Action Alliance, Social Democratic Party, African Action Congress, People’s Democratic Party, National Rescue Movement, Action Democratic Party and Young Progressives Party and some candidates for the bye-election.
They tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be fair to all the political parties by conducting an election that would be adjudged as the freest and fairest election in the country.
The Catholic Bishop of Shendam Diocese, Most Rev. Philip Davou Dung represented by the Secretary to Bishop, Rev. Fr. John Dakat admonished the candidates and the political parties to be sincerely committed to the peace accord terms by resolving to champion peace during the election, while advising their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully.
On his part, the Emir of Wase, HRH Alhaji Mohammed Sambo represented by Sarkin Hausawa Shendam, Alhaji Musa Umar Nuru commended the organizers of the peace accord for bringing together the political parties and the candidates to sign peace accord document pledging their readiness to participate peacefully in the bye-election in the state.
He called on youths in the Senatorial District not to allow political party, party candidate or anybody to use them to snatch ballbox or do anything that will disrupt the process of the bye-election.
The state Chairman of IPAC, Hon. Abubakar Dogara and Hajiya Binta Musa Kabir urged the political parties and the candidates to be truly committed to ensuring that the by-election a peaceful model to be replicated in other subsequent elections in the country.
