2019: Atiku signs Peace Accord, assures women of strong representation in his administration

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, has signed the Peace Accord.
The former Vice President signed the Peace Accord at the Kukah Centre on Wednesday in Abuja.
Atiku used the occasion to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the Electoral Act Amendment Bill ahead of the 2019 general election.
The PDP presidential candidate had earlier said that he could not make it to the signing of the document by the presidential candidates of other political parties on Tuesday because he did not get an invitation for the event.
He, however, expressed delight that Buhari agreed to sign the peace accord alongside other presidential candidates.
“I am delighted that the President has agreed to sign this peace accord, but we want to appeal to him to also sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

“Mr President needs to understand that as long as he refuses to sign this Bill, we will have doubt that this government is truly committed to a true, fair and credible election,” he said.
Atiku maintained that he was not a converted democrat but a real democrat from the beginning who alongside other leaders fought the military to return this country to democracy.
However, he said that the best way to guarantee peace in any election or human interaction was to ensure manifest justice to all concerned.
Earlier, Alhaji Abdusalami Abubakar, former Head of State and Chairman, National Peace Committee, apologised for not having the PDP presidential candidate at the signing of the peace accord held on Tuesday.
He said the news that the PDP boycotted the signing of the accord was completely wrong.
“I must apologise for the omission or commission, that the PDP was not able to attend that ceremony.
“The news that PDP boycotted the signing of the accord yesterday is completely wrong. I spoke to the presidential candidate and the party officials.
“It was not only the PDP that was not there yesterday, one or two parties were also not there,’’ he said.
He stressed that everybody involved in the project cared for peace and wants a peaceful election in 2019.
The political parties and their presidential candidates, especially, are to commit to issue-based campaigns and to avoid hate speech.
According to the peace accord, they are also to publicly speak against provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence.
They are also expected to support all government institutions including INEC and the security agencies to act and be seen to act with impartiality.
Meanwhile, Atiku has pledged to give women a strong representation in his government, if elected in 2019.
Abubakar made the pledge during an interactive session with Nigerian Women on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that he decided to have his first interaction with women because the PDP had never refused to advance or protect the interest of women.

“This is the first interactive session we are having with any group and this is to underline the importance of women as far as our party is concerned.
’’Since you are about 50 per cent of our population, our representatives at all levels must reflect this population.
”Some will argue that gender equality is a deal that cannot be achieved overnight, I disagree.
”We can achieve it. The PDP almost achieved it until the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over power.
”I stand before you here today and I want you to hold me accountable. I will commit to a strong representation of women in our PDP government and also recall that when I was the Vice President, I demonstrated this belief.
”I brought some of the brightest women into our government. Therefore, gender should not be a barrier.
”In terms of quantity and quality, women will play a lead role in our administration,” Abubakar said.
Abubakar, while answering questions, promised to put in place a financial programme targeted at empowering women to tackle poverty as well as establish a sustainable financial inclusion system that would address discrimination against women.
“For those of you who might have come from the same state with me, some years ago, I decided to set up a microfinance bank.
”I brought management experts from Bangladesh because Bangladesh is the best country in the management of micro finance.
“I gave them instructions to make sure that 80 per cent of the loans go to women and today that bank is one of the best micro finance banks in the country.
”We have moved out more than 45, 000 people out of poverty in my area. If you want to fight poverty, empower women.
”I am not talking politics, I am sentimentally and emotionally attached to womanhood,” he stated.
Abubakar also pledged to improve the country’s transportation system by improving the infrastructure including good roads, railway and airport to reduce accidents.
He  also pledged that in line with PDP history, his government would give better attention to the entertainment industry.