Presidential candidates and political leaders have converged in Abuja to sign the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Among those present at the signing ceremony on Tuesday, August 18, were the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi; his African Action Congress (AAC) counterpart, Omoyele Sowore; and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), alongside representatives of other presidential candidates.
The event was held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, and attended by governorship and National Assembly candidates, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, political party chairmen and other political leaders.
The accord provides a framework for peaceful political engagement and campaigning ahead of the January and February 2027 elections.
Speaking before the commencement of the ceremony, Obi called for a credible electoral process, urging authorities to ensure that Nigerians’ votes count.
“I don’t have any fear [going into next year’s election] except to say that, please, for the sake of the children of Nigeria, can we have an election where people’s votes will count?”
The former Anambra State governor also urged Nigerians not to vote for candidates or political parties that violate the principles of the peace accord.
Asked what punishment should be imposed on politicians who breach the agreement, Obi said, “The punishment is that Nigerians should not vote for them.”
He further urged all contestants to conduct themselves responsibly as the elections approach.
“You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person. So, the process that will make you answer ‘His Excellency’ should be excellent, and the only way to do it is to conduct yourself properly,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu, who was represented at the ceremony by the SGF, George Akume, commended the National Peace Committee for sustaining the peace initiative since 2014.
Akume said technological improvements in the electoral process, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), had helped strengthen the credibility of elections and reduce incidents such as ballot stuffing.
He cited recent off-cycle elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti States as evidence of increasing transparency in the electoral process.
“Different parties won them, and local and foreign observers described them as free, credible, and transparent. When the process and outcome are manifestly transparent, we see less post-election litigation in our courts,” he said.
He added that the growing credibility of elections had made politicians more accountable to voters because “votes count.”
Akume reaffirmed the commitment of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the principles of the peace accord and condemned electoral violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement on social media.
“Let us remember that 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.
The INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, also assured Nigerians that the electoral commission would remain neutral and conduct the 2027 elections without favouring any candidate or political party.
“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.”
Amupitan urged political parties and candidates to make the 2027 campaign about policies and solutions rather than personal attacks and violence.
“Let the 2027 election campaign be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war. Nigerians do not want insults; they want solutions. They deserve to hear clear, concrete, and measurable manifestos,” he said.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that preparations for the 2027 elections were progressing, with the commission working to strengthen its logistics and operational capacity.
He said the commission was preparing to manage a nationwide ad hoc workforce of approximately 1.4 million personnel across more than 176,000 polling units.
The second phase of the National Peace Accord is expected to be signed after the elections.