Presidential candidates and national chairmen of political parties signed the first National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections on Tuesday in Abuja, committing themselves to peaceful and issue-based campaigns a day before formal electioneering begins.
The accord was signed under the auspices of the National Peace Committee, chaired by the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), in partnership with The Kukah Centre, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
President Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, was absent and was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. The party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, also signed.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, and the African Action Congress candidate, Omoyele Sowore, signed in person, as did the Social Democratic Party candidate, Adewole Adebayo. The African Democratic Congress candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was not present.
Other parties represented included the Labour Party, Democratic Leadership Alliance, National Democratic Party, National Rescue Movement, Youth Party, Young Progressives Party and Zenith Labour Party.
The ceremony also featured formal signing by National Assembly and governorship candidates, party chairmen, the INEC Chairman and the Inspector-General of Police, and goodwill messages from the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, and the Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Patrick Egloff.
The accord was presented as a commitment by political actors to uphold the Constitution, the Electoral Act, guidelines issued by the Commission and other laws regulating elections. INEC’s timetable sets Wednesday, 19 August 2026 as the commencement date for presidential and National Assembly campaigns, making the signing the final major peace-building activity before electioneering begins.
A master of ceremonies described the moment as one in which parties and candidates affirm that, despite disagreements on how the country should be governed, the nation must move forward in peace and harmony, stressing that the exercise is not a mere ceremony or simply putting ink on paper.
Speaking for the President, Akume said the accord was an opportunity for parties and candidates to reaffirm their commitment to peaceful and transparent elections, and commended the Committee, particularly General Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for sustaining the initiative since 2014.
“Since 1999, every election period has brought its share of anxiety because of the nature of our politics and the intense competition for power by political actors,” he said.
He said the country had nonetheless made progress. “While politics and the contest of power can be loud, and often create tension among politicians, we must acknowledge the progress we have made in our electoral process in terms of transparency and election management by INEC. With the aid of technology, INEC has recorded tremendous improvement with every election cycle.”
He added: “These instruments have restored power to the voters who are now sure that their votes will count. Politicians are now more accountable to the people because votes count.”
He cited the permanent voter card and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, and pointed to the governorship elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states between October 2025 and August 2026, saying the different outcomes demonstrated that parties could win through the electoral process.
On the meaning of the signing, he said: “We have gathered today to commit ourselves to a peaceful and transparent electoral process. Signing this peace accord is a pledge to the Nigerian people that we as leaders will put the nation’s interest above personal ambition.”
He urged parties to avoid divisive rhetoric. “We may exchange occasional political jabs, but as members of the same household, nation and family, we must never resort to divisive, primordial sentiments, religion and ethnicity as tools for seeking power.”
He continued: “Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people.”
He said the party rejected violence, hate speech and misinformation, including misinformation generated or amplified through artificial intelligence, and incitement on social media, adding: “Election is not a do-or-die affair. Win or lose, our country Nigeria must be the ultimate winner.”
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines, Sowore dismissed the exercise, citing the deaths recorded during the 15 August Osun State governorship election.
“I don’t have faith in it. I’m bringing faith to the system. Those are two different things,” he said.
He alleged that signatories to previous accords in the state had gone on to take part in violence. “The people who signed the peace accord in Osun State killed 50 people after they signed the peace accord,” he said.
He put the point as a question. “So if you meant anything at all, why would you sign the peace accord and then go and carry a gun after that and kill 50 people? What will you be expecting after signing today’s peace accord? We conclude the ritual and move on to campaigning.”
He called for what he described as a Justice Accord, under which candidates and parties that breach the commitments would face sanctions, arguing that an agreement without consequences for violation would have little effect.
Obi called for peaceful and issue-based campaigns, and questioned why candidates should need to sign such an agreement at all.
“We have a peaceful, issue-based campaign. We must, for the sake of this country, ensure that our conduct reflects the office we’re seeking, our behaviour. We must do the right thing and campaign on issues that Nigerians are going through today,” he said.
Asked what sanction should apply to a candidate or party that breached the agreement, he answered: “The punishment is that Nigerians should not vote for them.”
He said those seeking executive office should conduct themselves accordingly. “You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person. The process that will make you answer ‘His Excellency’ should be excellent.”
He explained his participation. “Because I want to change the process, I have to go through it,” he said, adding that he had no fears about the coming election other than one request. “I don’t have any fear except to say that, please, for the sake of the children of Nigeria, can we have an election where people’s votes will count?”
On the Osun deaths, he said: “Let us not forget those who died in ensuring that the election in Osun was achieved, the way it went. We should visit them, console their families, remain prayerful and conduct ourselves in a way that in our democracy, nobody needs to die for an election. It is painful, and I wish it never happens again.”
The INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, said the signing came at an important stage in the timetable, with campaigns due to begin the following day, and that political actors needed to establish acceptable standards of conduct before campaign activities intensified.
Setting out the Commission’s own position, he said: “INEC has no interest in who wins or loses any election. The commission does not have a candidate, nor does it favour any political platform.”
He expressed concern over the growing use of hate speech, misinformation, political polarisation and personal attacks, saying political discourse was moving away from policy and governance towards character attacks, identity-based mobilisation and inflammatory rhetoric.
He urged candidates to campaign on economic growth, insecurity, infrastructure, healthcare, education and social inclusion, adding: “Electoral contests in a constitutional democracy are not total wars; they are competitive job interviews before the electorate.”
