At the signing of Peace Accord in Abuja.
Presidential candidates and national chairmen of major political parties on Tuesday signed the first National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections in Abuja.
The accord was signed on behalf of President Bola Tinubu by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, alongside the All Progressives Congress National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress signed the accord in person.
Other parties that participated in the signing ceremony, organised by the National Peace Committee, included 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.
Peter Obi during the signing of the peace accord. CREDIT: Channels TV
The ceremony was held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Video footage of the event aired on Channels TV shows party leaders and presidential candidates approaching the table one after another to sign the accord.
An MC at the event described the moment as one in which parties and candidates affirm that, despite disagreements on how Nigeria should be governed, “this great nation must move forward in peace and harmony.”
He stressed that the signing is “not a mere ceremony” or simply “putting ink on paper,” but a substantive commitment.
The National Peace Committee, chaired by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has facilitated similar accords in previous election cycles to promote democratic stability and reduce political tensions.
However, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ceremony, Sowore dismissed the accord as a “ritual”, citing deaths recorded during the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.
“I don’t have faith in it. I’m bringing faith to the system. Those are two different things,” Sowore said.
He alleged that people who signed previous peace accords in Osun State later engaged in violence.
“The people who signed the peace accord in Osun State killed 50 people after they signed the peace accord.
“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.”
Sowore called for a “Justice Accord” that would provide sanctions for candidates or parties that violate the commitments contained in the peace agreement.
Similarly, Obi called for peaceful and issue-based campaigns, saying politicians seeking public office must 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.
The former Anambra State governor also called for the remembrance of those who lost their lives during the recent Osun governorship 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,” he added.
Tuesday’s ceremony marked the first signing of the National Peace Accord by political parties and candidates contesting the 2027 general election under the chairmanship of Abubakar.
The programme featured goodwill messages from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan; the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu; the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot; and the Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Patrick Egloff.
The ceremony also featured the formal signing by National Assembly and governorship candidates, party chairmen, presidential candidates, the INEC chairman and the Inspector-General of Police.
