LAGOS AUGUST 19TH (NEWSRANGERS)-President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidates Peter Obi, Dumebi Kachikwu, Omoyele Sowore and other political actors yesterday signed the first National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
By this action, they have committed themselves to peaceful campaigns and rejected violence, hate speech and other acts capable of undermining the electoral process.
The accord was signed in Abuja ahead of the commencement of public campaigns for the 2027 elections today, August 19, with political parties and candidates urged to place national interest above personal and partisan ambitions.
However, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, was absent from the ceremony and did not send a representative. Although Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, was also absent, his running mate, Lawal Daura, attended the ceremony.
President Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, urged political actors to exercise restraint and refrain from exploiting ethnic, religious and other primordial sentiments in their pursuit of political power.
Tinubu said political disagreements and competing visions were legitimate features of democracy, but warned that campaigns must not undermine national cohesion.
“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.
“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 said.
The president urged the candidates to make the 2027 campaigns a contest of ideas, policies and programmes capable of improving the lives of Nigerians.
“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.
He reaffirmed his commitment, and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to the Peace Accord, declaring that the ruling party would conduct its campaign in a manner that promotes peace and national stability.
Tinubu also rejected violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement, including the misuse 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.
He reminded politicians and their supporters that elections were not a do-or-die affair, stressing that Nigeria must remain the ultimate winner irrespective of the outcome.
“Win or lose, our country, Nigeria, must be the ultimate winner,” Tinubu added.
On his part, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, called on Nigerians to reject politicians who violate the commitments contained in the Peace Accord.
Obi said the agreement must be reflected in the conduct of political actors during and after the campaign, stressing that politicians should allow their actions to demonstrate their suitability for public office.
“As contestants, we must allow what we are going to do today to reflect in our activities during and after the campaign,” Obi said.
He condemned the violence recorded during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, which resulted in the deaths of innocent Nigerians.
The former Anambra State governor insisted that elections must not be won through violence or destruction of property, urging politicians to pursue their ambitions through peaceful and democratic means.
Obi further urged the electorate to hold political leaders accountable for their conduct and reject candidates who disregard the commitments made under the Peace Accord.
INEC: Accord Must Be Respected
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, said the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend not only on the electoral commission but also on the conduct of political parties, candidates and their supporters.
Amupitan described the signing of the accord as a critical milestone in preparations for the elections, noting that today, August 19, marks the commencement of public campaigns.
He urged candidates to present measurable manifestos focused on the welfare of Nigerians and conduct issue-based campaigns devoid of character assassination, identity manipulation and inflammatory rhetoric.
The INEC chairman advised political actors to regard campaigns as a “competitive job interview” rather than a “war theatre”.
He warned that the Peace Accord would have little meaning if political leaders failed to ensure that its provisions were respected by their supporters and campaign structures across the country.
“It is not the signatures written on this Accord today that preserve democracy; it is the character of the leaders who hold the pen,” he said.
Amupitan urged presidential candidates and party leaders to cascade the obligations of the accord to their state supporters, local government executives, ward canvassers and grassroots supporters.
Police Vow Neutrality
The Nigeria Police Force has declared its readiness to maintain a neutral stance during the elections.
DIG Umar Shehu Nadada, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, assured Nigerians that the Force would remain professional, impartial and neutral throughout the electoral process.
Nadada said security agencies would not allow political thugs to arm or recruit young Nigerians for political violence.
He urged political leaders to sign the accord with their conscience, stressing that disagreements should be defeated with superior arguments rather than violence.
The European Union Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, also urged political parties and candidates to promote peaceful and issue-based campaigns.
Mignot said Nigeria’s democracy mattered to the entire African continent and urged political leaders to recognise the influence they wield over young Nigerians.
He called on INEC to demonstrate fairness and impartiality during the elections and urged security agencies to operate above board.
30 Peace Accords Since 2015
A former head of state and chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was represented by General Martin Luther Agwai, disclosed that the committee had facilitated 30 peace accords since 2015.
He said five were signed at the national level ahead of the 2015, 2019 and 2023 general elections, while 25 were facilitated at the sub-national level.
Agwai urged political actors to compete fairly, debate opposing views respectfully, mobilise supporters peacefully, protect voters and respect electoral institutions.
The parties represented at yesterday’s ceremony included the APC, Accord Party, APGA, APM, DLA, Labour Party, NDP and NDC, among others.
The signing comes five months before the 2027 general elections. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.
… CSOs, Political Scientists Demand Issues-Based Contest
Meanwhile, as campaigns for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections begin today, civil society organisations and political scientists have challenged parties and candidates to focus on policies and practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges rather than character attacks and personality-driven politics.
They urged candidates to clearly explain how they intend to tackle insecurity, the rising cost of living, unemployment, education, healthcare, corruption, power and the economy.
They also called on candidates to participate in televised debates and town-hall engagements where Nigerians can scrutinise their policies and assess the feasibility of their promises.
INEC fixed August 19 as the commencement date for campaign activities for the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
CSOs Seek Issues-Based Campaigns
In his own submission, the executive director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said the campaigns should move beyond slogans, personalities and attacks to issue-based, peaceful and accountable political engagement.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP, Itodo urged parties and candidates to provide concrete and measurable policy commitments on insecurity, cost of living, unemployment, education, healthcare, corruption, power and the economy.
He also called for responsible rhetoric, warning candidates against inflammatory ethnic, religious or regional sentiments.
“Given Nigeria’s history of electoral violence, candidates should avoid inflammatory, ethnic, religious or regional rhetoric. Political competition must not become a licence for intimidation, violence or attacks on opponents and their supporters,” he said.
Itodo also urged parties to respect democratic institutions, the Electoral Act, INEC regulations and the Code of Conduct for Political Parties.
He warned incumbents against using public institutions, security agencies or state resources to gain partisan advantage.
Similarly, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria urged parties and candidates to use the campaign period to demonstrate their commitment to democratic values, accountability and issue-based governance.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP, executive director of CISLAC and head of Transparency International, Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said candidates should avoid insults, personality attacks, ethnic and religious sentiments, misinformation, intimidation and political violence.
“Nigerians deserve campaigns that address the real challenges confronting their daily lives,” he said.
Rafsanjani urged candidates to clearly explain their programmes and policy alternatives on insecurity, unemployment, poverty, inflation, corruption, healthcare, education, infrastructure, agriculture, taxation, public debt and the cost-of-living crisis.
He said campaign promises must be realistic, measurable and backed by clear implementation strategies.
Rafsanjani also called for credible internal party processes, transparent campaign financing and greater participation by women, young people and persons with disabilities.
He urged candidates to participate in public debates and town-hall meetings where citizens, journalists and civil society organisations could scrutinise their manifestos.
“Candidates seeking the highest offices in the country should be willing to answer difficult questions from Nigerians,” he said.
He also called on INEC and security agencies to enforce electoral laws fairly and consistently, without favouring candidates based on political strength or affiliation.
Rafsanjani urged voters to assess candidates beyond party affiliation, ethnicity, religion and financial inducements.
“Nigeria cannot afford another electoral season dominated by empty promises and divisive politics,” he said.
The Executive Director of CREAP Africa Initiative, Sylvanus Udoenoh, similarly advocated policy-driven campaigns, saying issues should take precedence over party structures, incumbency, ethnicity, religion, regional loyalties and the financial strength of candidates.
Campaigns Should Focus On Development — Agbaje
Contributing to the subject, a professor of political economy and immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Prof Elijah Agbaje, urged political parties and candidates to make development issues, policy alternatives and national challenges central to their campaigns.
Agbaje said campaign discourse should address the rising cost of living, unemployment, insecurity and corruption and their implications for national development.
He, however, cautioned against portraying Nigeria’s challenges as unique, noting that even developed countries face socioeconomic difficulties.
He said the current administration deserved recognition for undertaking socioeconomic reforms that previous leaders might have avoided because of their potential political costs.
Agbaje urged parties to develop a national consensus on tackling insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, while also addressing what he described as the growing reliance on pseudoscientific approaches to wealth creation.
He told candidates to use the campaigns to educate voters and present practical solutions rather than engage in negative campaigning.
“In all their forms, misinformation, misrepresentation of issues, character assassination, and personal attacks should be discouraged,” he said.
UNIZIK Don Seeks Solution-oriented Campaigns
For political science lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Dr Christian Okeke, the candidates must hold robust, issue-based and solution-oriented campaigns.
Okeke said candidates should present practical and implementable solutions to Nigeria’s challenges rather than resort to hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric and personality-driven politics.
“I expect a robust and issue-based campaign as election campaigns start on August 19,” he said.
He said the ruling party should defend its policies and demonstrate their impact, while opposition parties should present credible alternatives to enable voters to make informed choices.
Debates More Important Than Rallies — Aiyede
On his part , a professor of political institutions, governance and public policy at the University of Ibadan and President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Prof Emmanuel Aiyede, urged parties and candidates to make political debates and issue-based engagements central to their campaigns.
Aiyede said debates provided an opportunity for candidates to explain their policies and answer questions on how they intended to implement their programmes.
“Political debates are very important aspects of the campaign. Many presidential candidates have shied away from political debates, and it has worsened our democracy,” he said.
He urged presidential and governorship candidates to make themselves available for debates, saying such engagements would enable Nigerians to scrutinise their plans and assess the feasibility of their policies.
KASU Don Wants End To Vote-buying
A senior lecturer at Kaduna State University, Godwin Atile, said he expected an issues-based campaign and urged politicians to stop vote-buying with money and food items.
“I would expect an issues-based campaign. The candidates should be able to tell the electorate what they can do better and how they will go about it,” he said.
“There should be less emphasis on seeking to destroy other personalities in the opposing camp. There should be no bribing of the electorate with money and food items that cannot last. On the whole, there should be tolerance and peaceful campaigns,” he added.
Campaigns Must Reflect Nigeria’s Urgency — Saliu
To the president of the Nigerian Society of International Affairs (NSIA) and former president of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Prof Hassan Saliu, Nigeria is in a more difficult situation that requires serious and issue-based campaigns.
Saliu, who teaches Political Science at the University of Ilorin, urged political parties and candidates to demonstrate urgency, preparedness and clarity in presenting programmes capable of addressing the country’s challenges.
He said political campaigns in the current democratic dispensation had generally failed to generate the level of excitement and substantive debate required to help voters make informed choices.
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