“They is really no need for a peace accord because we have laws. We just want to show that we are coming into the race.”
Okwe Obi, Abuja
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Donald Duke has said there is no need for the peace accord being signed by presidential candidates, explaining that the country already has laws to deal with electoral malpractice.
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This comes as he urged the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to increase the pace of voter education and decisively deal with electoral offenders, particularly vote buyers, in order to sanitise the electoral system.
The former Cross River State governor stated this after a public presentation of a book titled ‘The Coming Revolution: A Manifesto for National Greatness,’ authored by Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, in Abuja.
“They is really no need for a peace accord because we have laws. We just want to show that we are coming into the race.
“They are laws that deal with those who don’t want to respect the norms of the society. In a sane society it ought not to be so.”
Duke, who had earlier signed the deal, however, commended the process, stressing that it would tame political leaders from orchestrating violence in next year’s elections.
“The peace accord is necessary. It is one of the fundamental thing to do. You can’t have elections of violence. INEC must do the right thing by increasing voter’s education.
“INEC should live up to its responsibility by sanctioning candidates involved in vote buying so that everybody will fall in line. Until we do that people will continue to do whatever they like.
He, further noted that the continuous migration of Nigerians to other countries in search of greener pastures had made them “engender species not just to the neighbouring countries but the world.”
Speaking on the 214-paged book, Prof. Hagher said it was written not to make money, but for consumption and understanding of Nigerians on how to make the country great; thereby urging President Mohammadu Buhari, especially to read the intellectual work.
“President Buhari should read the book because it contains four chapters about him. My duty as a scholar is to talk true to power. I will fight injustice whenever it rear its head. Even if the victim of yesterday becomes the oppressor today I will fight him.
Not done, he advised politicians to adopt his “manifesto by developing the educational and health sectors respectively,” he noted.