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President Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) have signed a national peace accord ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, where political leaders, party chairmen and candidates contesting presidential, governorship and National Assembly seats gathered for the event.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, was also in attendance.
Tinubu was represented at the ceremony by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who delivered the President’s message.
Akume commended the National Peace Committee (NPC), particularly its chairman and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, as well as the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for sustaining the initiative since 2014.
He acknowledged the tensions that typically accompany Nigeria’s elections but said improvements in electoral management and technology had strengthened confidence in the voting process.
“Since 1999, every election period has brought its share of anxiety because of the nature of our politics and the intense competition for power by political actors,” Akume said.
He added that technological advances had improved election administration and strengthened voters’ confidence that their ballots would be counted.
The SGF described the peace accord as a pledge by political actors to prioritise Nigeria’s interests over individual political ambitions.
“We have gathered today to commit ourselves to a peaceful and transparent electoral process. Signing this peace accord is a pledge to the Nigerian people that we as leaders will put the nation’s interest above personal ambition,” he said.
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Akume also called on politicians to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and refrain from exploiting ethnic or religious sentiments during their campaigns.
“We may exchange occasional political jabs, but as members of the same household, nation and family, we must never resort to divisive, primordial sentiments, religion and ethnicity as tools for seeking power,” he said.
He urged candidates to focus on policies and competing ideas, stressing that the outcome of the election should not come at the expense of Nigeria’s unity.
“Election is not a do-or-die affair, win or lose, our country Nigeria must be the ultimate winner,” Akume said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Obi explained that his decision to participate in the electoral process was driven by his desire to transform it.
“Because I want to change the process, I have to go through it. You can’t answer his excellency without being an excellent person. The process that will make you answer his excellency should be excellent,” Obi said.
The ADC presidential candidate also said he was not apprehensive about the 2027 election.
“I don’t have any fears ahead of the election,” he said.
Obi subsequently urged Nigerians to reject candidates who fail to uphold the commitments contained in the peace accord.
