By Emmanuel Okogba
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his absence from the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adebayo said Tinubu’s absence from Tuesday’s ceremony in Abuja could send the wrong signal about the President’s commitment to a peaceful electoral process.
The SDP candidate made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“President Tinubu not showing up today, he is showing that he is not committed to peace. He is sending a wrong signal to law enforcement, for the people who work for the government, that the President looks like he is not committed enough,” Adebayo said.
He urged the President to explain his absence and publicly reaffirm his commitment to the peace process.
“So, he needs to correct that by making a clear statement explaining why he is absent and making sure that he makes a statement committing himself to the peace process,” he said.
Adebayo argued that the President’s participation in the process was important to strengthening confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“There is no issue of state grandeur than the President showing that democracy is important. There is no more national security than the continuity of the state,” he added.
The SDP candidate also recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari attended the signing of the peace accord four years ago, despite not being a candidate in the election at the time.
“Four years ago he [Tinubu] was around, and President Buhari, who was not even contesting, was around. It is good for you as a leader that you believe in a peace process,” Adebayo said.
He also questioned the decision to have the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, represent the President at the event.
“Oh please, this is an insult to the process. The SGF is not involved in the election. You have your Vice President who could come,” Adebayo said.
“I see that President Tinubu has been missing in action,” he added.
The National Peace Accord was signed in Abuja by presidential candidates and representatives of political parties ahead of the 2027 elections. The agreement, organised by the National Peace Committee, commits political actors to peaceful conduct and issue-based campaigns before, during and after the elections.
Among those who participated in the ceremony were Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore and Donald Duke, while the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, and other stakeholders were also present.
Obi called for credible and violence-free elections and urged Nigerians to reject candidates who violate the terms of the agreement.
Amupitan, meanwhile, reaffirmed INEC’s neutrality and urged political parties to focus on policies rather than personal attacks.
“The election should be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war,” he said.
The INEC chairman also said preparations were progressing for the deployment of about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units.
Bishop Matthew Kukah also called on political leaders to ensure that elections translate into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens while encouraging greater public participation in the electoral process.
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