By Busola Samuel
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has charged contestants who will participate in the Ondo State governorship election coming Saturday to see their signing of peace accord he and other members of National Peace Committee witness not just as ceremony or formality but as a commitment that each of them will be held responsible for at the end of the day.
*From Left: His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Chairman, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Inspector General of Police Alhaji Mohammed Adamu, represented, and others, during the signing of election peace accord by governorship candidates participating in coming October 10, 2020 election, in Akure on Tuesday October 6, 2020.
He told them to see the electoral exercise as a mere game and therefore should not warrant to be do or die affair.
Sultan Abubakar, who is also President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, gave this charge during the signing of a peace accord by the governorship candidates held in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Tuesday.
From Left: Governor Akeredolu, APC, and Eyitayo Jegede, PDP.
The peace pact was initiated by the National peace committee under the leadership of former Head of State of Nigeria, General Abdulsalam Abubakar.
While saying that the election was like gameplay by many players on the pitch, the Sultan called on all contestants “to shun any form of violence and thuggery so that the election can be free, fair and credible in the state like Edo State governorship election.
“I like to make it clear to all of us as citizens of this country and for the players who are going to be on the pitch on Saturday to contest for one single seat of governor of Ondo State for the next four years.
“I like to call on you to see the signing of an accord this morning not just as a mere ceremony or formality but a commitment by all of you. In fact a covenant, you all will be responsible for the outcome at the end of the day.
“Let all of us obey the rules of the game, I call it a game because election is a game where there must be only one winner and others who do not win, I won’t call them losers.
“There will be only one winner and that winner has already been ordained by Almighty God before the vote is even cast. We don’t know who that person is.
“So, as a contestant,tell the citizens of Ondo State what you cannot do and what you will do for them and their votes must count as INEC has assured us that every vote must count.
“Talk to your supporters to remain peaceful, do not allow thuggery to take place anywhere not only near the polling booth, even in the entire state throughout the duration of election on Saturday.
The Sultan said “power belongs to Almighty God and he gives it to whom he wants at the time he wants and he takes away from the person or persons without even alerting them. So, let’s not play God.
“Do not sign this accord, if you know you are not going to keep peace in election of Ondo State on Saturday,” he said.
Personalities present at the peace accord signing are Bishop Hassan Matthew Kukah, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, representative of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, other traditional rulers, supporters and members of the political parties participating in the poll.
Only ten of the 17 parties participating in the poll came for the signing of the peace pact.
Earlier before the event, The DEFENDER had broken the news about Sultan’s visit to Akure where he was required, along other members of the peace committee, oversee and witness the signing of an election peace accord by the candidates three of who it named; Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Agboola Ajayi of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
