Political parties, presidential candidates and National Assembly candidates have signed the first National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The candidates pledged to reject violence, hate speech, misinformation and personal attacks during the campaigns. The National Peace Committee organised the signing ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday with The Kukah Centre. The event came a day before the official start of campaigns for the elections. However, 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 Nigeria Democratic Congress. President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, and several political party leaders and presidential candidates also attended. The Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, was represented by former Chief of Defence Staff, Martin Luther Agwai.
Tinubu urges politicians to avoid violence
Speaking through Akume, Tinubu urged political actors to put national interest above personal and party interests. He said elections should not become a do-or-die affair and urged candidates to avoid ethnic and religious sentiments.
“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 also pointed to the use of technology by INEC as part of the improvements in election management. He cited the Permanent Voter Cards, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and electronic accreditation as examples. Tinubu urged political parties to focus on policies and solutions rather than divisive rhetoric.
“Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people,” he said.
He also said the APC would abide by the peace accord and reject violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement.
INEC warns against misinformation
Amupitan described the peace accord as more than a ceremonial event. He said it was an opportunity for political actors to set clear boundaries for the 2027 campaign. According to him, Wednesday, August 19, marks the official start of public campaigns and rallies for the elections.
Amupitan said Nigerians expected campaigns to focus on the issues affecting the country. He said the National Peace Committee’s Election Security Information Hub had recorded an “alarming resurgence” of hate speech, toxic polarisation and coordinated misinformation. The INEC chairman urged candidates to focus on the economy, security, infrastructure, healthcare, education and social inclusion.
“Electoral contests in a constitutional democracy are not total wars; they are competitive job interviews before the electorate. Nigerians do not want insults; they want solutions,” he said.
He also warned political parties against premature victory claims and the spread of unverified information online. Amupitan said social media and artificial intelligence had created new challenges for election management. He urged candidates and party leaders to ensure that their supporters and campaign teams followed the peace accord.
“Leadership attained at the expense of public peace, institutional integrity, or human life is a hollow victory,” he warned.
The INEC chairman assured political parties that the commission had no preferred candidate. He said the commission would provide a level playing field for all contestants.
According to INEC’s revised timetable, the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16, 2027. The governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
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