Hold Gov. Obaseki responsible if Edo poll turns violent – APC Youths

Berates PDP for not signing peace accord

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth League has condemned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for declining to sign the peace accord ahead of the Edo State gubernatorial election.

National President of the All Progressive Youth League, Comrade Olamide Lawal,in a statement personally signed by him, expressed disappointment and concern over the PDP’s refusal to be part of a peace pact, aimed at re-assuring electorate of a non-violent exercise.

According to him, “We are shocked that the PDP has refused to sign the peace accord, usually signed by political parties participating in elections, in Nigeria. This indicates a lack of commitment to peaceful elections and a potential resort to violence.”

“We urge the PDP to reconsider their decision, retrace their steps in the interest of Nigeria’s Democracy and sign the peace accord forthwith. We also call on security agencies to ensure a peaceful and credible election.” He noted

According to Lawal, “The youths in Edo state will not hesitate to hold Governor Godwin Obaseki accountable for any breach of peace during the election. We will not allow him to use his exalted office to cause chaos and destruction before he leaves office. Regrettably, Governor Obaseki is also a beneficiary of this peace accord. Why he asked his party not to be part of a peace-assuring process is unequivocally an attempt to jeopardize the efforts of members of this peace accord in the Heartbeat of the nation”

He appealed to other stakeholders in the country to step up their game by ensuring that the forthcoming election is peaceful.
“We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and civil society organizations, to intervene and prevail on the PDP to re-assure the electorate of a peaceful election in words and actions”

“Others who signed the peace pact have shown their unalloyed commitment to democratic values aimed at making the citizenry more active during the election, thereby reducing voter apathy during the exercise”

“The APC National Youth League is committed to supporting a peaceful and credible electoral process in Edo State, and we will not allow anyone to compromise that because our members across all the 18 local governments of Edo State have mobilized massively for this election and any move to truncate their efforts via violence by PDP will be resisted,”He stressed.

The APC Youth League further called on Edo electorates to be more vigilant in the coming days , as the PDP and Governor Obaseki’s dangerous and hidden plans are becoming obvious on daily basis.