2023: Respect peace accord, political parties, candidates urged

By Sani Adamu, Gombe

An elder statesman and public affairs analyst in Gombe State, Malam Umaru Gurama, has charged candidates for various offices in the upcoming 2023 elections to respect the peace accord they signed.

Gurama gave the charge on Monday in an interview with journalists after delivering a lecture at a sensitization and awareness conference on the 2023 general  election organized by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) held at College of Nursing and Midwifery, Gombe, Gombe State.

According to him, many of the peace pacts signed by political parties in the past elections were not obeyed by them as some of them either used the youth to foment violence or made attempts to rig elections.

“The signing of peace accord, peace pact or whatever, it doesn’t make any sense. When Orubebe at the situation room in 2019 was making the noise, they have signed the agreement. Had it worked? It didn’t work. Let them be subjected to the oath of obedience, if they fail, we take them to court”. He said.

He also cautioned against inducement, intimidation and rigging the next year’s election saying electoral rigging could lead to violence in the already tensed country.

Also responding, the national coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi explained that the conference was organized to enlighten the electorate, stakeholders and politicians on the need to eschew regional, religious and tribal sentiments in the 2023 elections.

“The country has voted along ethnic line, and we have seen the result of that. We have voted along the religious line, we have seen the result of that. We have voted along the political party lineage and we have got the result of that.

“Now, we want our people to change their mind, perception, to believe in one united Nigeria. To think of credibility, competency and integrity above any other factor,” he said.