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President Bola Tinubu has signed the Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging political parties and candidates to shun violence, hate speech and the use of ethnic and religious sentiments in their campaigns.
Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, gave the warning on Tuesday in Abuja during the signing ceremony convened by the National Peace Committee (NPC).
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the SGF, Yomi Odunuga, the President said political disagreements and competing visions were natural in a democracy, but warned that the pursuit of political power must not be allowed to undermine national unity.
“In the spirit of the accord we have just signed, we must conduct ourselves in ways that strengthen, not tear, the fabric of our society,” Tinubu said.
“It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing visions for our country. We may exchange occasional political jabs. But as members of the same household, the same national family, we must never resort to divisive or primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power.”
He urged political actors to make the 2027 election campaign a contest of ideas, policies and programmes that would improve the lives of Nigerians and accelerate national development.
“Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people and accelerate Nigeria’s journey from a developing nation to a first-world country,” he said.
Tinubu also pledged his commitment and that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the provisions of the Peace Accord, promising that the party would pursue its campaign without resorting to violence or incitement.
“As the campaign season kicks off, I commit myself and my party, the All Progressives Congress, to the tenets of this accord,” the president said.
He declared that the APC rejected violence, hate speech, misinformation and other forms of incitement, including the use of artificial intelligence and social media to manipulate public opinion or inflame tensions.
“Our party rejects violence, hate speech, the spread of misinformation, including through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, especially via social media,” he said.
“We are committed to peaceful, transparent elections that will strengthen political stability, social harmony, economic progress, and our nation’s prosperity. I encourage other political parties and political actors to do the same.”
The president also cautioned candidates and their supporters against treating the 2027 elections as a do-or-die contest, stressing that political actors remained partners in the task of nation-building regardless of their political affiliations.
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“Let us remember that elections are not a do-or-die affair. We are partners in the project of nation-building. Win or lose, our country, Nigeria, must be the ultimate winner,” he said.
Tinubu commended the National Peace Committee, particularly former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for sustaining efforts to promote peaceful elections through the signing of peace accords.
He noted that since 2014, the committee had facilitated commitments by political parties and candidates to non-violent and issue-based campaigns during national and off-cycle elections.
The president acknowledged that election periods had historically generated tension in Nigeria because of intense competition for political power, but said the country had recorded significant improvements in electoral administration since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
He specifically cited the deployment of technology by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including the Permanent Voter’s Card and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), as measures that had strengthened the electoral process.
According to him, the innovations had helped reduce voting manipulation, ballot stuffing and ballot snatching while improving citizens’ confidence that their votes would count.
Tinubu also cited the recent off-season governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, saying the victories recorded by different political parties demonstrated progress in Nigeria’s electoral process.
He said transparent electoral processes and credible outcomes were essential to reducing post-election disputes and consolidating democracy.
The president described the Peace Accord as a solemn commitment by political leaders to place national interest above personal and partisan ambitions and ensure peaceful and transparent elections in 2027.
He called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to support efforts to deepen democracy, stressing that democracy went beyond periodic elections and the emergence of political office holders.
According to him, citizens’ participation, confidence in public institutions, civic engagement, good governance, justice and equity were also essential components of a vibrant democracy.
Tinubu expressed confidence that adherence to the accord by political parties, candidates and their supporters would contribute to peaceful campaigns and credible elections in 2027, while strengthening Nigeria’s political stability, social harmony and economic progress.
