Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on all the presidential candidates and political party leaders to respect the voice of Nigerians in the presidential poll by accepting defeat if they did not win the election.

Mr Jonathan stated this at the signing of the third peace accord for all leaders of political parties and their presidential candidates, organised by the National Peace Committee on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Jonathan, represented by Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, said this was the time for the candidates and party leaders to demonstrate goodwill.

“Our country needs a stable and reliable democracy to be able to adequately address its challenges and provide the desired leadership that meets the expectations of our teeming populace. The world looks up to us to get our democracy right and become a force to be reckoned with in the leadership recruitment and governance process,” the former president explained.

He added, “We need peaceful elections to give democracy a boost on the continent, especially in our sub-region where civil rule is threatened by a wave of unconstitutional change of government. I, therefore, call on all the presidential candidates, the party chairmen and members of all the political parties to please respect the voice of Nigerians and embrace the politics of peace.”

He recalled that in the build-up to the 2015 general elections, he and President Muhammadu Buhari signed a similar accord, committing themselves to be free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

“We also made it very clear in the second Peace Accord that we would abide by the outcome of the votes. I believed that was the way to strengthen our democracy, stave off looming violence and bring peace to our nation,” stated Mr Jonathan. “There is no better time to make this commitment than now, given the considerable levels of tension and apprehension so far experienced, in the build-up to the elections.”

Mr Jonathan urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do its best to ensure the elections were free, fair and credible, urging the police and other security agencies “not to compromise themselves in the course of carrying out their duties, now, during and after elections.”

(NAN)