Political parties and presidential and National Assembly candidates have signed a peace accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The candidates pledged to run issue-based campaigns and avoid violence, hate speech, misinformation and personal attacks. The National Peace Committee organised the signing ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday with The Kukah Centre. It came a day before the official start of campaigns and rallies. The event brought together the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, political party leaders, candidates, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and members of the diplomatic community.
President Bola Tinubu was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. Other candidates who signed the accord included Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde were among the major political figures absent from the event. Atiku is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, while Makinde is the candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement.
Tinubu urges issue-based campaigns
Speaking through Akume, Tinubu urged political parties and candidates to put national interest above personal and partisan ambitions. The President warned politicians against turning the contest for power into a do-or-die affair. He also urged candidates to avoid using ethnic and religious sentiments to gain votes.
“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.
He called on politicians to focus on policies and solutions to the problems facing Nigerians.
“Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people,” he said.
Tinubu also said the All Progressives Congress remained committed to rejecting violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement. He commended the National Peace Committee for its role in promoting peaceful elections since 2014.
INEC chairman warns against election violence
Amupitan said the peace accord was more than a symbolic ceremony. He said it was designed to establish clear rules for political campaigns before the contest officially begins. According to him, Wednesday, August 19, marks the statutory start of public campaigns for the 2027 elections. The INEC chairman urged candidates to focus on the economy, security, infrastructure, healthcare, education and social inclusion. He said political contests should not be treated as warfare.
“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,” Amupitan said.
He also warned parties against spreading unverified information and declaring victory before official results. Amupitan said INEC was preparing about 1.4 million ad hoc staff for the 2027 elections across more than 176,000 polling units. He added that the commission was using lessons from recent elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states to improve its preparations.
Obi backs peace accord
Obi said politicians should not need a peace accord to behave responsibly. He said anyone seeking public office should show good conduct before being elected.
“You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person,” Obi said.
He said he participated because he wanted to change the electoral process from within. Obi also urged candidates to campaign on issues affecting Nigerians. He called for accountability over deaths recorded during the recent Osun governorship election. The former Anambra State governor said nobody should die because of an election. He also said the main issue ahead of 2027 was ensuring that voters’ choices count. On sanctions for candidates who breach the accord, Obi said voters should punish them at the polls.
“The punishment is that Nigerians should not vote for them,” he said.
Sowore questions effectiveness of accord
Sowore expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the peace agreement. He described the accord as a ritual that lacked strong enforcement. Sowore also questioned the description of the recent Osun election as peaceful. He alleged that about 50 people died in connection with the election.
“How can you say, in good conscience, that an election that led to the death of 50 citizens of any country is a peaceful election?” he asked.
The AAC candidate also criticised INEC over the electronic transmission and uploading of results from the Osun election. He argued that a peace accord would have little impact without clear sanctions for violations. Sowore called instead for what he described as a “justice accord” with enforceable consequences for political actors who breach the agreement.
Police promise neutrality
The police also pledged to remain neutral throughout the electoral process. The Inspector-General of Police, Disu, was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Umar Shehu. Shehu said the police would protect voters, candidates and other participants.
“The Nigeria Police is not interested in who wins or loses but is interested and committed to a peaceful election where Nigerians of eligible age will exercise their franchise without fear,” he said.
He urged political parties and their supporters to cooperate with security agencies.
IPAC urges political parties to show restraint
The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Yusuf Dantalle, also urged political actors to respect the terms of the accord. He called on parties, candidates and campaign teams to avoid fake news, insults and personal attacks. Dantalle urged politicians to promote tolerance, civility and constructive debate throughout the campaign period.
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