Nigeria: Tinubu, Obi, Sowore, Others Sign Peace Accord Ahead of 2027 Campaigns

What the report says

Presidential candidates and party leaders taking part in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections signed a national peace accord in Abuja on Tuesday, in a move intended to set rules for peaceful, issue-focused campaigning before formal electioneering begins. The event was organized by the National Peace Committee, led by former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, with The Kukah Centre, and took place at the International Conference Centre.

The signing brought together representatives of multiple parties, including Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress and Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party. President Bola Tinubu, who is the APC candidate, did not attend and was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, while APC national chairman Nentawe Yilwatda also signed. The accord was presented as a pledge to respect the Constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC rules.

Akume said the APC supported peaceful and transparent elections and urged parties to avoid hate speech, misinformation and ethnic or religious appeals. He also pointed to recent use of election technology, including PVCs and BVAS, as improving electoral credibility. INEC chairman Joash Amupitan said the agreement came just before campaign season and warned against personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric, calling instead for debate on jobs, security, infrastructure, health and education.

The candidates themselves offered mixed reactions. Obi said voters should reject politicians who break their promises, while Sowore dismissed the accord as ineffective without sanctions for violations. The gathering reflects continuing efforts to reduce election-related violence in Africa’s largest democracy, where peace pacts have been used in previous election cycles.