Samson Itodo: Peace accord controversy may affect voter turnout in Edo guber poll

Samson Itodo, the executive director of YIAGA Africa, says the peace accord controversy in Edo may affect voter turnout in the governorship poll in the state.

Itodo spoke on Thursday when he featured on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.

On Thursday, political parties and their candidates participating in the September 21 Edo governorship election signed the peace accord.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) refused to sign the agreement.

The PDP and Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, had alleged that police personnel, who are expected to enforce the peace accord, are working for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umar Damagum, acting national chairman of the PDP, also claimed that police have detained at least 16 members of the party, with 15 others “marked for arrest over trumped-up charges”.

Itodo said the refusal of the PDP to sign the peace accord will hit up the political tension in the state.

“What has happened today will further escalate the tension,” he said.

“When you have this crisis of confidence, you just give voters so much fear that their votes will not count next week.

“There is a crisis of confidence in Edo state as it stands. The stage has been set for all forms of post-election disputes.

“This is the first time that a political party won’t sign a peace accord.”

Itodo said Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP), should convene a meeting to assure all parties that their concerns would be addressed.

“I want to call on the IG and the police to invite the stakeholders to a meeting giving the sensitivity of this particular issue and address some of the concerns that they have raised but to also call on the actors on the other side that they need to sheathe their swords and come to the dialogue table,” he said.

“If their concerns are addressed, they should go back to their supporters not to embrace violence.”