Tinubu, Obi, others sign peace pact as 2027 presidential campaign begins + Photos

Political parties, Presidential and National Assembly candidates participating in the 2027 general elections on Tuesday signed the first National Peace Accord on issue-based campaigns, pledging to shun violence, hate speech, misinformation, personal attacks and other conduct capable of undermining the electoral process.

The accord was signed in Abuja at a ceremony organised by the National Peace Committee in partnership with The Kukah Centre, barely 24 hours before the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the elections.

The event brought together the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan; political party leaders; presidential candidates; National Assembly candidates; the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and representatives of the diplomatic community, among other stakeholders.

Those who signed the accord included President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi; the Social Democratic Party candidate, Adewole Adebayo and his African Action Congress counterpart, Omoyele Sowore.

Other participants were the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda; the presidential candidates of the Peoples Redemption Party, and Labour Party, Donald Duke, Chibuzor Okereke, the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin; the PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; federal and state lawmakers, party leaders and other candidates.

The event also featured goodwill messages from diplomatic representatives, including the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, and the Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Patrick Egloff.

However, some major political actors, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, were absent from the ceremony.

Atiku is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, while Makinde is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement.

The Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), was represented by a former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Agwai (retd.).

The ceremony was held against the backdrop of growing political activities ahead of the 2027 elections, with the economy, insecurity, unemployment, poverty, infrastructure deficits and the credibility of the electoral process expected to dominate the campaigns.

According to INEC’s revised timetable, the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.

Speaking through Akume, President Tinubu urged political parties and candidates to place national interest above personal and partisan ambitions, warning that the struggle for political power must not become a do-or-die affair.

He also cautioned political actors against exploiting ethnic and religious sentiments to mobilise voters, insisting that the 2027 campaign should be based on competing ideas, policies and programmes.

“Signing this peace accord is a solemn pledge to the Nigerian people that we, as leaders, will put the nation’s interests above personal or partisan ambitions,” Tinubu said.

The President acknowledged that political campaigns naturally generate disagreements and intense competition, but insisted that such disagreements should not threaten national unity.

“It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing missions 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 and primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power,” he stated.

Tinubu urged the candidates to concentrate on the issues affecting Nigerians and offer competing solutions to the country’s challenges.

“Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people,” he admonished his opponents.

The President said the APC remained committed to the provisions of the accord and would reject violence, hate speech, misinformation, incitement and digital manipulation.

“Our party rejects violence, hate speech, the spread of misinformation, including through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, especially via social media.

“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.”

Tinubu also commended the National Peace Committee for sustaining its interventions in the electoral process since 2014, noting that the initiative had helped bring political actors together to publicly commit themselves to peaceful elections.

He said Nigeria had also recorded improvements in election management, particularly through the adoption of technology by INEC.