2019: Atiku was not invited for Abdulsalami peace accord- Aide
By The absence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at Tuesday’s signing of peace accord brokered by former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, has been attributed to the fact that the organizers of the event did not extend invitation to him.
Media Adviser to Atiku, Paul Ibe, confirmed this to BusinessDay in a telephone chat on Tuesday, stressing that “at no point was the former Vice President invited for any peace accord.”
President Muhammadu Buhari arrived the International Conference Center (ICC) venue of event on Tuesday afternoon to sign the peace accord which many consider a commitment to enhance peace and respect for the processes of the 2019 election, and a bond on the defeated candidates to accept defeat in good faith.
Presidential candidate of the Advanced People’s Democratic Alliance (APDA) Mohammed Shittu, had told BusinessDay earlier on Tuesday that he was attending the peace accord. BusinessDay however, gathered that some other notable presidential candidates who were not there on account of alleged non-invitation included; Oby Ezekwesili of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Omoyele Sowore of Africa Action Congress (AAC) and Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
The peace accord is the initiative of the National Peace Committee chaired by Abdulsalami Abubakar and supported by Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah; former Chief of General Staff, Oko Ebiti Ukiwe and many others.
During the 2015 presidential election, the committee brokered a peace accord between then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and his main challenger then Muhammadu Buhari, who eventually won the 2015 election. The 2015 peace accord was largely said to have reduced tension in the country and was crucial to the peaceful outcome of the election.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja