Twenty-two political parties and 19 presidential candidates have signed a peace accord ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, pledging to conduct peaceful, lawful and issue-based campaigns and reject violence, ethnic and religious rhetoric.
The accord, organised by the National Peace Committee and hosted by the Kukah Centre in Abuja, commits parties and candidates to reject fake news, misinformation, hate speech, incitement, personal attacks, vote-buying and other electoral offences, while protecting women, youths and persons with disabilities from political intimidation and violence.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, said political competition must not threaten national unity. He urged parties to campaign on ideas, policies and programmes while rejecting the use of ethnicity, religion, emerging technologies and social media to inflame tensions.
INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan said the accord aligns with the Constitution, Electoral Act 2026 and other electoral regulations. He identified political violence, intimidation, attacks on electoral infrastructure, vote-buying, voter suppression, hate speech, misinformation and identity-based mobilisation as major threats, noting that previous accords recorded significant breaches.
Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, represented by Deputy Inspector-General Umar Nadada, warned parties against deploying thugs, armed groups and illegal firearms during the campaigns. He said politicians must take responsibility for their supporters and campaign organisations, while assuring that security agencies would remain professional and impartial throughout the electoral cycle.
The European Union and Switzerland urged political actors to respect INEC’s independence, maintain peaceful competition and prioritise issues such as security, livelihoods, education, governance and inclusion. Peter Obi also called for issue-based campaigns and credible elections, saying no Nigerian should lose their life over an election and urging voters to punish candidates who violate the accord at the polls.
Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, urged political leaders to resolve disputes before they escalate into violence, drawing lessons from recent Ekiti and Osun elections. He stressed that unresolved disputes among political competitors are closely linked to violence and called for early intervention by political actors, the Peace Committee and security agencies.
