…Obi urges voters to reject violators at polls
…Peace Committee warns against hate speech, violence, fake news
…INEC: 2027 elections are “competitive job interviews”
…2,510 security incidents recorded in 14 months

By Frontline Reporters

ABUJA — Presidential candidates and political party leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections have signed a National Peace Accord, pledging to conduct issue-based campaigns and shun violence, hate speech, personal attacks, fake news and ethnic or religious incitement.

The accord was signed Tuesday in Abuja under the auspices of the National Peace Committee, in partnership with The Kukah Centre, ahead of the commencement of the 2027 electioneering campaign on Wednesday. Organisers said the agreement is anchored on the Constitution, Electoral Act, INEC guidelines and other relevant laws governing the electoral process.

The initiative is designed to prevent the fierce contest for political power from degenerating into violence, intimidation, misinformation and other acts capable of undermining Nigeria’s democracy.

The absence of some major presidential candidates, however, was notable. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, were not personally present. Tinubu was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

Among the presidential candidates who attended were Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC). INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, also attended the ceremony.

Speaking shortly before the signing, Obi urged Nigerians to punish any candidate or political party that violates the accord by voting against them at the polls.

Asked what punishment should await violators, the former Anambra State governor said: “Well, the punishment is that Nigerians should not vote for them.”

Obi maintained that politicians seeking public office must demonstrate the character expected of leaders, insisting that the process of seeking public office should itself reflect exemplary conduct.

He also appealed for a credible 2027 election in which Nigerians’ votes would count, saying the future of the country’s children depended on a democratic process in which no Nigerian would have to die because of an election.

The NDC candidate questioned the need for politicians to sign a peace accord in the first place, arguing that those aspiring to public office ought to behave responsibly without being compelled to do so.

The Project Manager of the National Peace Committee at The Kukah Centre, Asabe Ndaye, described the accord as a public commitment by political parties and candidates to peaceful political competition, respect for the rule of law, democratic accountability and the will of the people.

Ndaye disclosed that the committee had, in March 2026, convened electoral stakeholders and presented legal annotations to the accord to ensure that political actors understood the implications and consequences of violating its provisions.

She said the agreement requires party chairmen, candidates, campaign spokespersons, officials and supporters to refrain from creating, publishing, disseminating, endorsing or knowingly amplifying fake news and misinformation intended to incite violence or undermine electoral integrity.

According to her, existing laws provide sanctions for offences involving violence, intimidation, inflammatory rhetoric and religious, ethnic or sectional division. She added that the committee had facilitated 31 peace accords since its establishment as part of its contribution to democratic stability.

Ndaye warned that the exercise would amount to little if political actors failed to honour their commitments.

She said the objective was to establish clear boundaries for political competition before campaigns escalate into electoral conflict, stressing that political competition must not become war, mobilisation must not become intimidation, electoral disputes must not become conflict, and information must not become a weapon against electoral integrity.

43% of 2023 violations linked to issue-based campaigns

Ndaye disclosed that monitoring of the 2023 electoral cycle revealed significant breaches of the previous peace accord, with violations of the commitment to issue-based campaigns accounting for 43 per cent of recorded breaches.

She said provisions against insults and violence accounted for 13.5 per cent of violations, while fake news and disinformation represented nine per cent.

According to her, 58 per cent of violations relating to issue-based campaigns were attributed to party spokespersons, affecting 22 states, including Kaduna, Plateau, Kano, Lagos, Rivers and Benue.

“Political language is not just communication. In a tense electoral environment, it can actually become a risk signal,” she warned.

2,510 security incidents recorded

Ndaye also disclosed that the Election Security Information Hub established by the committee recorded 2,510 security incidents between June 2025 and August 2026.

She listed Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Niger, Benue and Plateau among the most affected states, with banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other forms of insecurity posing major threats.

The hub also recorded 381 electoral offences during the period, with the Federal Capital Territory, Osun, Oyo and Lagos recording significant incidents.

The major electoral threats, she said, included vote-buying, political violence, thuggery, physical attacks, intimidation, misinformation, party conflicts, electoral malpractice and voter suppression.

Ndaye warned that electoral violence usually has a history before erupting into an actual incident. She therefore urged stakeholders to tackle tensions arising from party primaries, defections, political realignments, litigation and nomination disputes before they escalate.

She also identified intra-party disputes, factionalisation, defections, misinformation, vote inducement, threats, intimidation, thuggery, hate speech and attacks on campaign rallies as major risk factors requiring early intervention.

She urged political parties and candidates to engage in vigorous but respectful debates centred on policies, programmes and issues affecting Nigerians, while party spokespersons were advised to verify information before disseminating it.

Security agencies, she added, must remain neutral, exercise restraint and provide equal protection to all citizens and candidates. Traditional and religious leaders were also urged to use their influence to promote peace and discourage inflammatory rhetoric throughout the campaign period.

INEC: Elections are not ‘total wars’

Speaking at the ceremony, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the accord was being signed at a critical point in the electoral calendar, with campaigns scheduled to commence on Wednesday, August 19.

He said the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and House of Assembly elections would take place on February 6.

Amupitan expressed concern over the resurgence of hate speech, toxic polarisation, coordinated misinformation and personality-driven political discourse, noting that campaigns were increasingly shifting from policy debates to character assassination, identity-based provocation and inflammatory rhetoric.

He urged candidates to focus on the major challenges confronting Nigerians, including economic growth, insecurity, infrastructure, healthcare, education and social inclusion.

“Electoral contests in a constitutional democracy are not total wars; they are competitive job interviews before the electorate,” Amupitan said.

He urged political parties to turn the 2027 election into a “marketplace of ideas”, where candidates would explain not only what they intended to do but how they planned to achieve their objectives.

The INEC chairman also warned against using social media and digital platforms to spread false information, premature election results and other content capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

Amupitan disclosed that INEC was preparing to deploy about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units, adding that the commission had spent the past eight months improving its technology, logistics and personnel training.

He cautioned, however, that technological improvements could not substitute for responsible political behaviour.

“It is not the signatures written on this Accord today that preserve democracy; it is the character of the leaders who hold the pen,” he said.

Police warn against political violence

The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, represented by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Umar Shehu, warned political actors against conduct capable of threatening electoral security.

Disu said election security was not created on election day but built throughout the electoral cycle through the conduct of political parties, candidates and their supporters.

He called for campaigns centred on policies and competing visions rather than ethnic mobilisation, religious division, hatred, intimidation and violence.

The police chief warned that inflammatory statements could spread rapidly through television and social media and trigger violence in communities. He also cautioned against the use of armed groups, criminal elements or illegal firearms to intimidate political opponents or disrupt political activities.

He stressed that political parties must take responsibility for the conduct of their supporters and campaign organisations.

“You cannot publicly preach peace while privately encouraging violence,” he said.

Disu also called for greater inclusion of women, youths, persons with disabilities and other traditionally underrepresented groups in political activities.

Akume pledges APC commitment

Representing President Tinubu, SGF George Akume said the President and the APC were committed to the principles contained in the accord.

Akume commended the National Peace Committee for promoting peaceful elections and said Nigeria had recorded improvements in election management through technology deployed by INEC, including permanent voter cards and biometric voter accreditation.

He urged political parties to reject ethnic and religious sentiments and instead campaign on policies capable of expanding opportunities and improving the lives of Nigerians.

“As the campaign season kicks off, I commit myself and my party, the All Progressives Congress, to the tenets of this accord,” Akume said.

He added that the APC rejected violence, hate speech, misinformation — including misinformation generated through artificial intelligence — and incitement on social media.

Adebayo questions relevance of accord

While the accord received broad support, SDP presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo questioned its effectiveness, describing it as meaningless without justice, accountability and respect for democratic principles.

Adebayo argued that previous peace agreements had been violated without consequences and accused the government of intimidating opposition politicians.

He maintained that a credible electoral environment required government institutions, security agencies and INEC to discharge their constitutional responsibilities independently and transparently. He also questioned whether the recently concluded Osun governorship election represented an improvement in Nigeria’s electoral process, citing deaths recorded during the poll.

Despite the divergent views, the National Peace Committee maintained that the accord provides a framework for peaceful political competition as the 2027 campaigns begin.

The committee said the second phase of the initiative would follow the elections and focus on acceptance of electoral outcomes and a broader commitment to democratic stability.

Established in 2014 in response to threats ahead of the 2015 elections, the National Peace Committee comprises eminent elder statesmen who intervene in critical national issues through high-level mediation and alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms.

The organisers said the initiative was ultimately about protecting Nigeria’s democratic future rather than advancing partisan interests.

“Today’s not about party colours. It’s about the Nigerian colour. That is the green and the white of Nigeria,” they declared.

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