President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and other political contenders have signed the first National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday, August 18, in Abuja, one day before the official commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
The accord, facilitated by the National Peace Committee in partnership with The Kukah Centre, commits political parties, presidential candidates and their supporters to peaceful and issue-based campaigns.
Among the commitments are the rejection of political violence, hate speech, personal attacks, fake news and the use of ethnic or religious sentiments to gain political advantage.
President Tinubu, who was represented at the ceremony by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, urged political actors to avoid turning the election into a do-or-die affair. He also warned against exploiting ethnic and religious divisions for political purposes.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, called on candidates to make the campaign a “marketplace of ideas” rather than a “theatre of war.” He urged politicians to tell Nigerians clearly what they intend to do for the economy, security and education, rather than focusing on personal attacks.
Peter Obi also signed the agreement, alongside other presidential candidates including Omoyele Sowore, Adewole Adebayo and Donald Duke. However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the ADC were notably absent from the ceremony.
The signing comes as Nigeria officially enters the 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign season on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
With the political contest now officially underway, parties and candidates are expected to intensify their nationwide campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
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