President Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), have signed the national peace accord ahead of the 2027 general election.
The event, held on Tuesday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, was attended by representatives of other presidential candidates, governorship and national assembly candidates, political party chairmen and other political leaders.
Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was also present.
Tinubu was represented at the signing ceremony by George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), who delivered the president’s remarks.
Akume, speaking on behalf of Tinubu, praised the leadership of the National Peace Committee (NPC), including former head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for convening the occasion and sustaining the peace initiative since 2014.
Akume said Nigeria’s elections had continued to generate anxiety because of the intense competition for political power.
“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, however, said the country had made progress in electoral transparency and election management, particularly through the use of technology.
“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,” he added.
“With the aid of technology, INEC has recorded tremendous improvement with every election cycle.
“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.”
The SGF said the signing of the accord was a commitment by political leaders to place the national interest above personal ambitions.
“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 said.
Akume urged political actors to avoid divisive rhetoric and the use of religion and ethnicity as tools for seeking political power.
“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 said.
“Let us campaign on superior arguments and debate issues and promote the best policies. Election is not a do-or-die affair, win or lose, our country Nigeria must be the ultimate winner.”
Speaking at the event, Obi said he was participating in the political process because he wanted to change it.
“Because I want to change the process, I have to go through it. You can’t answer his excellency without being an excellent person. The process that will make you answer his excellency should be excellent,” Obi said.
The NDC candidate said he had no fears ahead of the 2027 election.
“I don’t have any fears ahead of the election,” he said.
He urged Nigerians not to vote for anyone who violates the principles of the peace accord.
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