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Buhari Won’t Keep To The Peace Accord – Edwin Clark

Published

10 years ago

January 16, 2015

Elder-states man, Chief Edwin Clark has expressed his reservations about the non-violence accord signed by the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).
Clark made reference to a recent United States’ statement that the frequent Boko Haram attacks in the Northeast may likely be because of the upcoming elections. He said based on that fact, the accord may not work.
The former Federal Commissioner for Information also decried the fact that such agreement was signed because of the intervention of a foreigner.
Speaking to reporters in his Abuja residence on Friday, Clark opined that President Jonathan did the right thing by making himself available to sign the accord.
He however said Gen. Buhari cannot be trusted to keep to the agreement because of his antecedents in the past that includes his refusal, when invited, to appear before the defunct Oputa Panel set up to advance the course of peace in Nigeria.
Although Clark pointed out he would be glad if the accord could engender peace in the nation before, during and after the election, he however said the accord did not mean anything to him.
He argued that the accord was not necessary, blaming its existence on what he described as desperation of some people who want power to belong to them.
He said: “If Buhari comes and it (insurgency) stops, it is because they control it, they listen him. They started it, they know how Boko Haram started. It is easier for them to stop it.
“But Jonathan is working on it. He has toured the area, but they have found meaning to it. They are saying it is too late. Nigeria belongs to all of us and together we can salvage it” He concluded.
It would be recalled that President Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, recently gave details of how his office packaged the meeting at which the non-violence pact was signed.