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The candidates contesting Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election have signed the first National Peace Accord ahead of the polls.
Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore signed the accord in person on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and All Progressives Congress National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, signed on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
The Labour Party, Democratic Leadership Alliance, National Democratic Party, National Rescue Movement, Social Democratic Party, Youth Party, Young Progressives Party and Zenith Labour Party, among others, also participated in the ceremony organised by the National Peace Committee.
The National Peace Committee, chaired by former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has facilitated similar accords in previous election cycles to promote democratic stability and reduce political tensions.
However, Sowore dismissed the accord as a “ritual”, citing deaths recorded during the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.
He also alleged that some politicians who signed previous peace accords in Osun later engaged in violence.
“I don’t have faith in it. I’m bringing faith to the system. Those are two different things,” Sowore said.
“So if you meant anything at all, why would you sign the peace accord and then go and carry a gun after that and kill 50 people? What will you be expecting after signing today’s peace accord? We conclude the ritual and move on to campaigning.”
Obi, however, called for peaceful and issue-based campaigns, urging politicians seeking public office to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the positions they aspire to occupy.
“We have a peaceful, issue-based campaign. We must, for the sake of this country, ensure that our conduct reflects the office we’re seeking, our behaviour. We must do the right thing and campaign on issues that Nigerians are going through today,” Obi said.
He also called on political actors to remember those who died during the Osun election and urged Nigerians to ensure that no one loses their life because of an election.
“Let us not forget those who died in ensuring that the election in Osun was achieved, the way it went. We should visit them, console their families, remain prayerful and conduct ourselves in a way that in our democracy, nobody needs to die for an election. It is painful, and I wish it never happens again,” Obi said.
