President Bola Tinubu and 16 other Presidential candidates, on Tuesday, signed the 2027 National Peace Accord, pledging to conduct issue-based campaigns and reject violence, hate speech, misinformation and artificial intelligence-generated disinformation ahead of the general elections.
President Tinubu, represented at the ceremony in Abuja by George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), urged political parties and candidates to place national interest above personal and partisan ambitions as campaigns formally commence Wednesday.
The accord, organised by the National Peace Committee in partnership with The Kukah Centre, was signed on the eve of the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
BusinessDay reports that the accord was introduced against the backdrop of Nigeria’s history of election-related violence, intimidation, inflammatory rhetoric and post-election disputes.
Since the return to democracy in 1999, several elections have been marred by violence, while the 2011 general elections recorded widespread deadly clashes in parts of the country.
The National Peace Committee, led by Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State, has since 2015 facilitated peace agreements aimed at reducing electoral tension and encouraging political actors to compete through policies and programmes rather than personal attacks and identity politics.
However, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Seyi Makinde, Oyo State governor and presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), were not physically in attendance but represented.
Peter Obi (NDC), Adewale Adebayo (SDP), Donald Duke (PRP), Chibuzor Okereke (LP) and Omoyele Sowore (AAC) were among the 17 presidential candidates who attended the ceremony.
Also in attendance were Nentawe Yilwatda, APC National Chairman; Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President; Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, PRP National Chairman; as well as other political leaders and lawmakers.
Tinubu, in his address delivered by Akume, said political disagreements were normal in a democracy but warned candidates against exploiting ethnic and religious sentiments.
‘Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people,’ he said.
The President said the APC rejected violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement, including the use of artificial intelligence and social media to manipulate public opinion.
‘Elections are not a do-or-die affair. We are partners in the project of nation-building. Win or lose, our country, Nigeria, must be the ultimate winner,’ he said.
Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the signing was more than a ceremonial exercise, describing it as an attempt to establish ethical boundaries before the campaign season begins.
‘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 warned against hate speech, coordinated misinformation, premature victory declarations and the misuse of digital platforms, noting that AI and social media had created new challenges for election management.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC was preparing to deploy about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units for the elections.
Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, said politicians should not need a peace accord to behave responsibly, urging voters to punish violators by refusing to vote for them.
‘Can we have an election where people’s vote will count?’ Obi asked.
Sowore, the AAC candidate, however, called for a ‘Justice Accord,’ arguing that peace would remain difficult without justice and accountability.
The Nigeria Police, represented by Umar Shehu, Deputy Inspector-Genera, pledged to provide security to ensure Nigerians vote without fear.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Assembly elections will hold on February 6.