By DAYO JOHNSON

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has said that all the governorship candidates of the 17 political parties participating in the October 10 election would sign a peace accord next week Tuesday.

Yakubu who expressed concerns over the spate of violence in some parts of the state said this during an interactive session with newsmen in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

The chairman is on a three-day working visit to the state ahead of the October 10 election. Yakubu said ” We are aware of the violence involving supporters of political parties. We will meet with the traditional rulers and the political parties over the issue of violence.

” I am also glad that the National Peace Committee under the leadership of our former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd.), is going to intervene by organising the signing of the peace accord, similar to what we did in Benin.

“That is why we have a representative of the NPC committee to do the preparatory work.

“The signing of the peace accord will take place on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, here in Akure.

“Am happy to let you know that we have accomplished 12 of the 14 activities. This is exactly two weeks and two days to the election. Within the days remaining, there are exactly 16 days to the election.

“If we exclude the election day on Saturday, October 10, we have 15 days. So we have two weeks, and a day to the election. The sensitive materials for the election are ready.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria will deliver them to the (Akure) branch. On Monday, October 5, the sensitive materials for the election will arrive. We lost all our smart card readers to the unfortunate fire incident.

“But let me say that we have fully recovered from that incident. We have enough smart card readers from the neighbouring State of Oyo State. We are configuring and charging the card readers here in Akure.”

He called for the exposure of “vote buyers during election as there are people who want to compromise the integrity of the process. INEC will remain neutral.”

Yakubu reiterated the commissions call for the need by the National Assembly for the establishment of Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal. (Vanguard)

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