By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the National Peace Committee, INEC, and the Nigeria Police Force have called on political parties and candidates to conduct peaceful, issue-focused campaigns.
The appeal was made Tuesday in Abuja during the signing of the first National Peace Accord for the 2027 elections, organized by The Kukah Centre.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Sen. George Akume, who is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, commended the initiative for encouraging peaceful democratic participation.
“The Peace Accord over the years has become an important moral instrument in our political process, reminding political actors that while elections are contests for political leadership, Nigeria itself must remain greater than any election, political party or individual ambition,” he said.
In his welcome remarks, National Peace Committee Chairman and Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retired), former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, noted that the accord would ensure that campaigns are based on ideas, policies and programmes.
“Political campaigns have neglected the significance of party manifestos and programmes, creating a platform for political parties to resort to name-calling, personal insults and character assassination, thereby undermining decency in public discourse,” Agwai said.
He said the Peace Committee had facilitated 13 peace accords since 2015, including five at the national level and others at the subnational level, while the latest accord is anchored on the Constitution and Electoral Act.
“Now that the 2027 general election is five months away and the official commencement of campaigns is tomorrow, the National Peace Committee is calling on political parties, candidates and campaign councils to commit to peaceful political campaigns,” he said.
The committee urged political actors to campaign on issues of significant concern to Nigerians, avoid fake news, personal attacks and insults, promote tolerance and respect differences of opinion, and comply with the accord.
On his part, Prof. Joash Amupitan, INEC Chairman said the signing of the accord was a deliberate effort to establish ethical boundaries for political campaigns before rallies and political rhetoric dominate the public space.
“Let the 2027 campaign be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war. Nigerians want clear, concrete and measurable manifestos explaining how political parties intend to drive economic growth, strengthen security, improve education and healthcare, and foster social inclusion,” he said.
He said INEC was strengthening its technology, logistics and personnel ahead of the elections, with preparations underway to manage more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
“We are scaling our operational logistics to manage a massive nationwide ad hoc workforce of 1.4 million personnel across over 176,000 polling units, while ensuring the ballot is protected and the will of voters reflected in final results,” he said.
The INEC Chairman urged candidates and party leaders to lead their supporters by example, warning against inflammatory statements, misinformation, disinformation and premature declarations capable of undermining confidence in democratic institutions.
“Let us compete vigorously, but let us compete decently. Let us remember that at the end of this exercise, there will be no winners if Nigeria is the loser, because our democracy must remain the ultimate winner,” he said.
Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Operations, Umar Nadada said election security was a collective responsibility requiring responsible conduct from political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders.
“The security of an election is not created on the day of the election. It is built gradually through the conduct of political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders throughout the electoral cycle,” he said.
The IG reiterated that the Force would remain professional and impartial while working with INEC, the military, intelligence agencies and other security bodies to provide a safe environment for political activities and credible elections.
“You cannot publicly preach peace while privately encouraging violence. You cannot call for a credible election while simultaneously undermining the institutions responsible for conducting it, and you cannot seek the mandate of Nigerians while creating fear among the citizens whose votes you seek,” he said.
In his Peace message, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, commended the National Peace Committee for promoting peaceful elections and urged political parties to uphold justice, inclusion and fairness while avoiding actions that could frustrate opponents’ campaigns.
“We must continue to live in peace, but we ought to uphold justice where there is need for justice, so that all of us can enjoy this democracy in peace,” Dantalle said.
Representing the European Union Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, Agnieszka Torres said political parties and candidates had a vital responsibility to ensure peaceful campaigns by rejecting violence, hate speech and disinformation.
She said the EU expected all stakeholders to respect INEC’s constitutional mandate and urged the electoral body to operate independently, while also calling on security agencies to maintain neutrality and guarantee the safety of all voters.
The EU representative commended the National Peace Committee under the leadership of former President Abdulsalami Abubakar for its role in previous elections, reaffirming the EU’s impartiality and commitment to Nigeria, its people and democracy.
Bishop Matthew Kukah, founder of the Kukah Centre, in his farewell message, said the Peace Accord was intended to move political campaigns away from personal attacks, hate and violence towards substantive discussions about the issues affecting Nigerians.
He urged political parties and candidates to recognise that political power is temporary, while Nigeria remains permanent, stressing the need to protect the country’s peace and unity throughout the electoral process.
PersecondNews correspondent at the event reports that it ended with the chairmen of political parties signing the National Peace Accord alphabetically, alongside presidential candidates who were present, while members of the diplomatic corps and other stakeholders witnessed the signing.
The signatories committed themselves to peaceful, issue-based campaigns and respect for Nigeria’s democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general election.
Author
Leave a comment