Imo State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Hope Uzodimma; as well as the candidates of the Labour Party, Athan Achonu; All Progressives Grand Alliance, Tony Ejiogu; and New Nigeria Peoples Party, Ben Odunze; were all absent as the peace accord meeting organised by the National Peace Committee in Owerri, the state capital for all the governorship candidates in the state, ahead of the November 11 governorship election in the state.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Samuel Anyanwu, who came in thereafter left after he noticed that the candidates of the major political parties were not present.
Though Uzodimma, Achonu and Anyanwu sent their running mates, however, the organisers of the ceremony did not allow them to sign the peace accord.
The organisers said the documents would not be signed by candidates in proxy.
Although the chairmen of APC and LP signed the documents.
The candidates of the Social Democratic Party, Bright Ekwebelem; Action Democratic Party, Steve Nwoga; Action Alliance, Jack Ogunewe; and other candidates were present and signed the peace accord.
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Uzodinma’s running mate, Chinyere Ekomaru, who was not allowed to sign the peace accord left after her party chairman, Macdonald Ebere, signed the dotted lines.
Achonu’s running mate, Tony Nwulu, was not allowed to sign on behalf of the Labour Party candidate.
However, his party chairman, Callistus Ihejiagwa signed.
The running mate of the PDP candidate, Jones Onyereri, was also not allowed to sign the peace accord document.
The chairman of the PDP in the state, Charles Ugwu, was also absent at the ceremony.
It was later announced that the candidates who missed the ceremony could come to the office of the state Commissioner of Police to sign the documents on Thursday.
The running mate of the PDP candidate, Onyereri, who spoke to journalists shortly after, said his candidate left because he had other engagements.
He said that Anyanwu asked him to stay back.
He asked the Independent National Electoral Commission not to compromise the electoral process, adding that it would make nonsense of the peace accord.
The Deputy Inspector General Of Police, Frank Mba, who is in charge of the election in the state, and other senior security agents were present during the ceremony which had a huge presence of security agents.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
