When Ondo Signed Up for Peace
The Ondo State Command recently engineered a peace accord amongst the political parties in the state and their candidates with a view to ensuring credible and violence-free polls, reports James Sowole
Though Ondo State has not witnessed any major political violence in recent history before, during and after elections when compared to happenings in some other states of the federation, the memory of what happened in the state during the Second Republic is still fresh in the minds of the people. No doubt, those who witnessed or heard about the crisis that greeted the announcement of results of the gubernatorial election of 1983 would have no choice than to take pre-cautionary measures that can prevent electoral violence.
Thus, at every given opportunity, people always refer to the crisis of that time to caution political gladiators, electoral body, security agencies, media and other stakeholders about what they do during elections.
It was in pursuance of violence-free election that informed the organisation of several fora of various stakeholders as the elections approach.
At the forefront of these are two main bodies – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police.
The latest of these fora was convened by the Ondo State Police Command under the supervision of the Commissioner, Mr. Isaac Eke. This forum was a step further because it involved the signing of Peace Accord by the chairmen of political parties and their candidates.
The forum held at the Nigeria Police Officers’ Mess Akure, was attended by Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who was represented by his Chief Of Staff, Dr Kola Ademujimi, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ondo State, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, heads of security agencies in the state or their representatives, chairmen of political parties and some of their candidates, religious leaders, civil society organisations, youth leaders and Non-Governmental Organisations among others.
The ball was set rolling by the Police Commissioner, Eke, who is also the convener with an opening remark. Eke said the meeting was in furtherance of the mandate he received from the Inspector General of Police and coupled with the contemporary political developments in the polity in order to advance the course of peace, being the sine qua non for free and fair elections as the nation and indeed, the state march into the final phase of the rescheduled elections. He noted that peace was the bedrock upon which democracy thrives all over the world, adding that no credible leadership can emerge in an atmosphere of rancor, violence, and chaos in an election.
Eke therefore described the gathering as a clarion call of history to the sons and daughters of Nigeria to come together in peace and unity to build with patriotic zeal, a greater Nigeria that the present generation can bequeath to posterity.
He said the essence of the peace accord was to usher in a level playing field for all the political actors and parties in the state. The police commissioner said with the level of synergy among the security agencies in the state, all polling booths will be adequately covered by security agents, assuring that the same gesture would be extended to all INEC staff and materials, ad-hoc staff, party agents, the electorate, election observers and the media.
In his own presentation, the INEC REC for the state commended the political parties in the state for conducting themselves in a manner that had made the state become one of the most peaceful during electioneering.
Specifically, Agbaje said when compared with happenings in other states of the federation, Ondo State has fared better when talking about peaceful election campaigns. The REC, who gave an update on the activities of the commission to ensure the conduct of credible polls, said the commission had organised sensitisation programmes with various stakeholders in the state, during which questions were asked on the preparation of the commission. While giving an update on the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Agbaje said 1,494,169 cards were printed for the state out of which 1,087,948 or 72,8 per cent had been collected while 406,261 or 27.91 per cent were yet to be collected. The REC, who also seized the opportunity to demonstrate the application of the card reader and its essence, said the commission had enough machines assuring that there was no need for any apprehension on the use of the equipment that is meant to ensure the authenticity and originality of the voter card.
He said each card reader had been configured to work for a specific polling unit stating that it would only read cards that had been configured for specified area. He said INEC had moved non sensitive materials to various local governments while sensitive ones had been deposited at the Central Bank, adding also that arrangement had been made to ensure that materials get to polling units on time particularly in difficult terrain
On his part, the Ondo State Governor, Mimiko, who recalled that the 1999 election that ushered in the current democratic experience was adjudged peaceful, said the 2003 and 2007 elections were marred with many irregularities like ballot box snatching, falsification of results, arson and maiming. He noted that with effect from 2011 and 2012 – under the leadership of Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan – the conduct of elections were adjudged to be free and fair by national and international observers. Mimiko, who was represented by Mr. Ademujimi, his Chief of Staff said as this year’s election is drawing nearer, politicians and their supporters must show maturity in their conduct in order for the elections to be peaceful.
“Elections should never be a do-or-die affair. Politicians should put the interest of the state above others in order to move the nation and state forward. Political leaders, parents and guardians have the responsibility of leading by example in terms of their utterances and behaviour and equally instill in their supporters, children and ward the reason they must not be used as agents of violence.”
He called on major stakeholders, particularly the INEC and the security officials to play their roles creditably to ensure free, credible and peaceful elections, urging them to work hard to ensure that democracy is not truncated.
While noting that only one candidate would eventually emerge for a position, Mimiko implored his colleagues to imbibe a sportsmanship spirit of accepting whoever wins the election most especially if the conduct of such election is credible.
“We want election without violence, intimidation or campaign of calumny. Politics without bitterness is our dream,” he said.
In their contributions, the chairmen of the two major political parties in the state, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Hon Fatai Adams who represented the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed the commitment of their respective parties to peaceful elections in the state. The PDP chairman said, “As far as the PDP is concern, this is the party that believes in the rule of law. The PDP will play the game according to the rules. The PDP will not engage in any form of indiscipline and crisis. The party will ensure that members and candidates play the game according to the rule”. In his submission, the APC chairman commended the Ondo State Police Command and the INEC for organising series of stakeholders’ fora on the forthcoming election.
Kekemeke said there is peace in Ondo State because the government and the security agencies had been doing their best adding that as long as INEC is doing the right thing, there would be no problem. The APC chairman, who said the Commissioner of Police had been acting fairly, noted that there are fringe actors in some parts of the state that were hired by political leaders. He said he had written to the commissioner on the development adding that something must be done to ensure that the fringe actors do not cause problem during elections.
In their separate contributions, the Chairman of the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) Bishop Joshua Ketiku and the Chief Imam of Ondo State, Alhaji Ahmed Aladesawe urged politicians to be cautious of attitude they display before, during and after election.
They advised politicians to imbibe the belief that it is God that put human being into positions no matter how one struggles. The clerics said there are problems because politicians have abandoned the spirit of sacrifice in all they are doing.