Why I Was Absent At Signing Of Peace Deal – Atiku

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has revealed why he was absent at the national peace accord meeting on Tuesday.

Atiku, in a statement by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, said he was not invited to the programme.

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“His Excellency did not get any invitation for the programme. I have spoken with him and I can confirm he wasn’t invited,” Ibe said.

Other presidential candidates who also claimed they were not invited to the national peace accord meeting are Donald Duke of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Omoyele Sowore of Action Alliance.

Kingsley Moghalu of Young Progressives Party (YPP), Oby Ezekwesili of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) were also absent at the event.

Organisers of the event, however, said invitation was sent to all 73 presidential candidates contesting the 2019 elections.

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Meanwhile, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement assured that Atiku and the party are committed to ensuring that the 2019 election is peaceful.

“Nevertheless, it is instructive to state that our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the party are fully committed to a peaceful electoral process and elections in 2019.

“Our Presidential candidate is known worldwide as a global ambassador of peace, who will always support processes that will engender peace in our country and the world over.”

Some of the commitments made by the candidates who signed the peace deal are:

To run issue-based campaigns at national, state and local government levels. In, this, we pledge to refrain from campaigns that will involve religious incitements, ethnic or tribal profiling, both by ourselves and by all agents in our names.

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To refrain from making or causing to make in our names and that of our party, any public statements, pronouncements, declarations or speeches that have the capacity to incite any form of violence, before, during and after the elections;

To commit ourselves and political parties to the monitoring of the adherence to this Accord by a National Peace Committee made up of respected statesmen and women, traditional and religious leaders

To support all institutions of government including INEC and the security agencies to act and be seen to act with impartially.

To forcefully and publicly speak out against provocative utterances a d oppose all acts of electoral violence whether perpetuated by our supporters and/or opponents.

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