13 parties sign peace accord ahead of Ekiti gov’ship poll

Ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, 13 political parties participating in the poll on Thursday signed a peace accord, pledging to maintain peace before, during and after the exercise. Among the signatories was Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, who reaffirmed the commitment of […]

Ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, 13 political parties participating in the poll on Thursday signed a peace accord, pledging to maintain peace before, during and after the exercise.

Among the signatories was Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, who reaffirmed the commitment of residents and political stakeholders to sustaining peace throughout the electoral process.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, urged political parties and their supporters to uphold the spirit of the agreement beyond merely appending signatures to the document.

According to him, Ekiti has earned a reputation for political awareness and peaceful conduct, adding that stakeholders must ensure the state maintains the image during the election.

Amupitan commended the National Peace Committee for its continued role in promoting democratic stability and reducing electoral tensions across the country.

He said following the successful implementation of the peace accord mechanism during the November 2025 governorship election in Anambra State, the commission was determined to replicate the model in Ekiti.

The INEC chairman explained that the commission had extended the peace accord initiative to off-cycle governorship elections since its introduction in Edo State in September 2020, noting that the framework had become institutionalised across several states.

He disclosed that 1,059,360 registered voters would participate in the Ekiti governorship election, with deployment planned across the state’s 16 local government areas, 177 registration areas and 2,445 polling units.

Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, represented by General Martin Luther Agwai, described the peace accord as a collective commitment to credible, free, fair and peaceful elections.

He urged political parties and supporters to reject violence, hate speech and electoral misconduct, emphasising that no political ambition should come at the expense of human lives or public peace.

Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the peace accord underscored the need for elections to remain a contest of ideas rather than conflict.