Edo Election: Why I signed peace accord - Boot party candidate

Mr Osirame Edeipo, the Boot Party candidate for the Sept. 21 Edo state governorship election, says he signed the election peace accord out of respect for Abdulsalami Abubakar and Bishop Mathew Kukah.

Edeipo said this in an interview with the newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

He said that he believed the presence and input of both personalities would yield significant result in the conduct of , and candidates before, during and after the election.

“I signed the peace accord because of the respect I have for the convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Matthew Kukah and General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

“We have seen how elections have been conducted in the past and the outcomes of the peace accords, and with the recent developments in the state you can almost predict the outcome this election.

“But I believe that with the input of Kukah and Abubakar, we will see a different impact of the peace accord and the election will meet the expectations of the people,” he said.

Edeipo called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, the judiciary and other election stakeholders to remain neutral in discharging their duties.

He said that this was the only way to ensure free, fair and credible polls.

Edeipo urged the people to come out en mass on Sept. 21 to vote for their preferred candidate based on integrity, credibility, track records, responsibility and ability.

He urged the youth to reject being used as thugs by politicians to disrupt the electoral process, but to shun vote buying, ballot snatching and total disruption of the electoral process.