- Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore, and the PRP presidential candidate were among those who signed the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections
- The signing took place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja and was organised by the National Peace Committee
- INEC chairman Joash Amupitan said the commission is preparing to deploy 1.4 million ad hoc staff across more than 176,000 polling units for the 2027 polls
Several presidential candidates for the 2027 general elections, including Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate, signed the National Peace Accord in Abuja on August 18.
The signing took place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre and was organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC).
Source: UGC
According to Channels Tv, beyond presidential candidates, the event drew representatives of governorship and National Assembly contestants, political party chairmen, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Joash Amupitan, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. The NPC described Tuesday’s ceremony as the first phase of the exercise, with a second phase planned after the elections.
Obi calls on Nigerians to reject Accord violators
Speaking before the signing began, Obi, 65, called for a credible and peaceful process. “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?” he said.
When asked what consequences violators of the accord should face, the former Anambra State governor was direct: “Well, the punishment is that Nigerians should not vote for them.” He urged all contestants to maintain proper conduct as the January and February polls approach.
“You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person,” he added. “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.”
Tinubu, INEC boss address the gathering
President Bola Tinubu, represented by Akume, commended the NPC leadership, which includes former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for sustaining the initiative since 2014. He pointed to off-cycle elections in Anambra, Osun, and Ekiti as evidence of improved electoral transparency under the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“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,” Tinubu said. He also rejected hate speech, electoral violence, and social media incitement, saying: “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.”
INEC chairman Amupitan assured Nigerians of the commission’s neutrality. “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,” he said.
He also urged candidates to campaign on substance, telling them: “Let the 2027 election campaign be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war.” He added that INEC is scaling up logistics to manage 1.4 million ad hoc workers across over 176,000 polling units nationwide.
Muslim and Christian leaders sign interfaith Peace Accord
Legit.ng earlier reported that more than 50 Muslim and Christian leaders signed an interfaith peace accord in Abuja on August 12, formally launching a new body aimed at promoting religious harmony across Nigeria.
The signing ceremony was organised by the Muslim World League, a Saudi Arabia-based Islamic non-governmental organisation, and brought together clePeter Obi urged Nigerians to reject violators of Peace Accordrics, government officials and traditional leaders from across the country.
Source: Legit.ng