2019: Political Parties To Sign Peace Agreement On December 11

Ahead of the 2019 general elections in the country, all registered political parties will on December 11 in Abuja formally sign a peace accord for the conduct of the elections.

Former president and head of the National Peace Committee, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) said this in Abuja on Thursday at the end of a meeting with the parties and other stakeholders.

Presenting the resolutions of the meeting, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. fr. Mathew Hassan Kukah, said the committee and political parties discussed extensively on the need to ensure that politicians create a favourable and conducive environment for the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

“We discussed the theme of trust as a key ingredient in the conduct of our affairs.

“In the end we have resolved to adopt the same principles that guided the very successful in 2015 elections and therefore commit ourselves to run issues-based campaigns at national, state and local government levels.

“In this, we pledge to refrain from campaigns that will involve religious incitement, ethnic or tribal profiling, both by ourselves and by all agents acting in our names,” Kukah said.

The committee also warned political parties and politicians to refrain from making or sponsoring public statements, pronouncements, declarations or speeches that have the capacity to incite any form of violence, before, during, and after the elections.

It said that all parties are expected by the committee to abide by the terms of the peace accord to ensure the 2019 elections is as successful as the 2015 elections.