President Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore and other presidential and National Assembly candidates have signed the first National Peace Accord on issue based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, pledging to shun violence, hate speech, misinformation, personal attacks and other conduct capable of undermining the electoral process.
The accord was signed in Abuja on Tuesday at a ceremony organised by the National Peace Committee in partnership with The Kukah Centre, barely 24 hours before the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the elections.
The pact commits political parties and candidates to conducting their campaigns around issues, policies and programmes while avoiding actions capable of inflaming ethnic, religious or political tensions.
The ceremony brought together the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan, political party leaders, presidential candidates, National Assembly candidates, the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, members of the diplomatic community and other stakeholders.
Among those who signed the accord were President Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi; the Social Democratic Party candidate, Adewole Adebayo; and the African Action Congress candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
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Also present were the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda; presidential candidates and representatives of other political parties, including Donald Duke and Chibuzor Okereke, as well as the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, and the PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba Ahmed.
Federal and state lawmakers, party officials and other candidates also attended the ceremony.
Goodwill messages were delivered by members of the diplomatic community, including the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, and the Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Patrick Egloff.
However, some prominent political actors were absent from the ceremony, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
Atiku is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, while Makinde is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement.
The Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was represented at the event by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Agwai.
The signing comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, with the economy, insecurity, unemployment, poverty, infrastructure deficits and the credibility of the electoral process expected to dominate the campaigns.
Under the revised timetable released by INEC, the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
Speaking through Akume, President Tinubu urged political parties and candidates to place national interest above personal and partisan ambitions.
He warned against turning the contest for political power into a do or die affair, urging candidates to campaign on issues rather than exploit ethnic and religious sentiments.
“Signing this peace accord is a solemn pledge to the Nigerian people that we, as leaders, will put the nation’s interests above personal or partisan ambitions,” Tinubu said.
The President acknowledged that political campaigns would naturally produce disagreements and intense competition, but said political differences should not threaten national unity.
“It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing missions 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 and primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power,” he stated.
Tinubu urged the candidates to focus their campaigns on the issues affecting Nigerians and present competing solutions to the country’s challenges.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, described the ceremony as more than a symbolic gathering, saying it provided an opportunity for political actors to establish the ethical boundaries of the 2027 electoral contest before campaigns officially begin.
He said the timing of the accord was particularly significant because Wednesday, August 19, marks the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 general elections.
“Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 19, 2026, marks the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 general election,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chairman stressed the importance of responsible political communication as parties and candidates begin nationwide campaigns.
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The accord comes at a critical stage of preparations for the elections, with political parties expected to intensify rallies, media engagements, grassroots mobilisation and public messaging in the months ahead.
With the 2027 contest expected to be fiercely contested, the peace pact is intended to provide a common commitment among political actors to keep the electoral contest peaceful and focused on competing visions for the country.
The effectiveness of the agreement, however, will ultimately depend on whether the commitments made by the candidates are reflected in their campaigns and conduct throughout the electoral process.
