To avoid violent clashes and peaceful elections, political parties in Ogun State, yesterday, signed a peace accord.

Known as the Abeokuta Accord, the move was initiated by the Ogun State Police Command.

Parties that signed the accord included the All Progressives Congress (APC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) among others.

Administering the peace accord, the state Commissioner of Police, Valentine Ntomchukwu, warned the politicians to abide by the terms of the peace accord.

Ntomchukwu, who was flanked by heads of other security agencies in the state also threatened that he would deny bail to any political thug and sponsor arrested in connection with election violation and violence.

At the peace accord, the five political parties were represented while about 70 candidates signed the peace accord with the state police command.

The politicians, who included members of the National Assembly, governorship candidates as well as party chairmen and secretaries of political parties all assured the police of ensuring violence-free electioneering campaigns in the state.

“Criminals with arms, cutlass, cudgel who are ready to snuff life out of citizens going about their lawful businesses or have come to witness their candidates’ victory would be ruthlessly dealt with.

“It is my warning and I know that my officers are aware of that too. All the Area Commanders, the DPOs, I have told them to arrest anybody; I repeat, anybody who is seen with offensive weapons, clubs, cudgel or any other instruments of violence at the venue of campaign. Either before, during or immediately after. We are not going to tolerate that.

“We will not grant bail to anyone found to have contravened the election laws. We will make sure that he is confined because what he is doing is tantamount to robbery or murder,” Ntomchukwu said.

Source: VANGUARD