Clinton, others to monitor Buhari, Atiku sign new pact to accept polls result

Clinton, others to monitor Buhari, Atiku sign new pact to accept polls result

Former President Bill Clinton of United States is to watch over a second peace pact to be signed between President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, and his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, rival, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday.

 Bill Clinton

A statement by National Peace Committee, which is facilitating the agreement, also acknowledged the role of the Kofi Annan Foundation in the effort towards the peace project.

Besides President Clinton, Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland, will also be present at the agreement ceremony to build confidence and win the commitment of the two major candidates to accept the result of the election.

The agreement would be the second after the initial one signed last December by the two men and some other major candidates. A statement by head of the secretariat of National Peace Committee, Fr. Atta Barkindo, read: “The National Peace Committee, mindful of the importance of peaceful elections and non-violent transfer of power has engaged various stakeholders in preparation for the 2019 General Elections.

“The NPC is grateful to Kofi Annan Foundation for supporting this process, and, after 2015, again supporting free and fair elections in Nigeria. “The NPC has engaged Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security services, 91 registered parties, the media and civil society organisations.

“Considering some of the challenges, the committee organised the first signing of National Peace Accord on 11th December, 2018 to support peaceful campaigns and political rallies. “The Committee, led by former Nigerian Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has organised the 2nd signing of the National Peace Accord, which would be held on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 10 am at the Abuja International Conference Centre.

“These are aimed at committing stakeholders to accepting the outcome of the vote, as long as it is announced by INEC, the body empowered by law and is adjudged to be free, fair and credible.

“To this end, it is pleased to announce that it has invited Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America and Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, to visit Nigeria from February 12-13, 2019, ahead of the Nigerian presidential elections.

“Both ex-President Clinton and Baroness Scotland will deliver goodwill messages at the signing ceremony of the National Peace Accord, which will hold at Abuja International Conference Centre on February 13.”