Tinubu was represented at the ceremony by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, just a day before campaigns officially begin for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi; his African Action Congress (AAC) counterpart, Omoyele Sowore; and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, among others, have signed the National Peace Accord, months before the 2027 elections.
The event, which took place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, attracted representatives of other presidential candidates, contestants for the governorship and National Assembly posts; the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume; chairmen of political parties; and other top political leaders across the country.
Organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC), Tuesday’s event is the first part of the exercise. The second phase will take place after the 2027 polls.
Before the commencement of the gathering, which serves as a framework for peaceful political engagement in the lead-up to the January and February polls, Obi called for a credible exercise.
The former Anambra State governor said, “I don’t have any fear [going into next year’s election] except to say that, please, for the sake of the children of Nigeria, can we have an election where people’s votes will count?”
To ensure a peaceful exercise, the NDC presidential candidate asked Nigerians not to cast their ballots for anyone or any party that violates the tenets of the accord.
“Well, the punishment is that Nigerians should not vote for them,” he said when asked what the punishment should be for those who violate the agreement.
He asked contestants to “be exemplary” in their conduct as the general elections inch closer.
“You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person,” Obi, 65, said. “So, the process that will make you answer ‘His Excellency’ should be excellent, and the only way to do it is to conduct yourself properly.”
