Wednesday, several political parties in Enugu State signed a Peace Accord in preparation for the upcoming Local Government Elections scheduled for September 21, 2024. The signing took place during a “Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Enugu State 2024 Local Government Elections,” organized by ActionAid Nigeria.
While some key parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party (LP), were notably absent from the signing, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) declined to sign due to the ruling party’s absence at the event.
The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, represented by the Head of Programme, Celestine Odo, emphasized the importance of the peace accord in ensuring peaceful and credible elections. He expressed confidence that parties who were not present would sign the accord before Friday, under the coordination of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Justice Development Peace Commission (JDPC).
Mamedu highlighted the broader goal of improving stakeholder collaboration for election security and tackling historical issues such as low voter turnout and the exclusion of women and youth in local government elections.
“Our objective is to establish a more inclusive and transparent governance system, while strengthening coordination between the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), law enforcement, and civil society organizations (CSOs),” Mamedu added.
The Head of Programmes for the South Sahara Social Development Organization (SSDO), Udochukwu Egwim, reaffirmed that efforts are underway to ensure other political parties sign the peace accord before the election day.
ENSIEC Chairman, Prof. Christian Ngwu, assured stakeholders of the commission’s readiness to conduct free, fair, and credible elections, with necessary materials and security arrangements already in place.
State Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, also assured the public that the police, along with other security agencies, will ensure voters can cast their ballots without fear of intimidation or victimization.
The peace accord marks a significant step toward peaceful local elections in Enugu, with emphasis on collaboration among political parties, election authorities, and security agencies.
