- Tinubu, Obi, Sowore, Duke, Others Sign Peace Accord
- INEC Has No Candidate’ — Amupitan Assures Parties Of Neutrality
- Tinubu To Opposition: Don’t Weaponise Ethnicity, Religion
- Nigerians Should Punish Candidates Who Violate Peace Accord
Nigeria’s 2027 general election campaign season officially begins today, Wednesday, August 19, as political parties and their candidates enter a new phase of the race for the presidency, governorships and legislative seats.
The commencement marks a major turning point in the country’s political calendar, moving the 2027 contest from months of political manoeuvring, consultations and coalition-building into an open campaign battle for the votes of Nigerians.
To kickstart the process, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, African Action Congress (AAC) candidate Omoyele Sowore and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate Donald Duke and other presidential candidates have signed the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The political heavyweights joined other presidential, governorship and National Assembly candidates at the ceremony organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Also in attendance were the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume who represented President Tinubu; chairmen of political parties and other political leaders.
The accord, first introduced ahead of the 2015 elections, commits political parties and their candidates to peaceful, issue-based campaigns and responsible conduct before, during and after the elections.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of INEC Joash Amupitan, challenged political parties and candidates to turn the 2027 election campaign into a contest of ideas and solutions rather than a battlefield of insults, violence and political attacks.
With the official campaign for the presidential and National Assembly elections commencing today, Wednesday, August 19, Amupitan warned politicians that their conduct would have a direct impact on their supporters and the wider political environment.
Describing the peace accord as more than a ceremonial document, the INEC chairman said it represented a binding commitment to Nigerians.
“The document you are about to sign is not a mere piece of paper. It is a covenant and a social contract with the Nigerian people, and it is a contract with statutory and constitutional flavour,” he said.
‘If You Incite Them, They Will Ignite’
Amupitan urged presidential candidates and party leaders to lead by example, stressing that supporters often mirror the language and behaviour of their political principals.
“Presidential candidates, if you speak the language of peace, they will act with peace; if you incite them, they will ignite,” he warned.
He called on candidates to abandon personality-driven campaigns and instead explain clearly how they intend to solve the problems confronting Nigerians.
“Focus on what and how. Tell the voters what you will do for the economy, security and education and how you intend to achieve it,” he said.
The INEC boss then delivered his central message: “Let the 2027 campaign be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war.”
He also urged political actors to respect electoral laws and institutions, while allowing room for legitimate criticism and robust political debate.
Amupitan cautioned candidates and their supporters against premature declarations of victory and the dissemination of information capable of eroding public confidence in the electoral process.
INEC Raises Alarm Over Digital Manipulation
The electoral umpire also expressed concern over the growing influence of digital platforms on elections, warning against misinformation, disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference.
He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to use digital platforms responsibly and avoid actions capable of misleading voters or destabilising the electoral process.
The professor of law further called on all political parties and candidates to fully embrace the provisions of the peace accord and conduct their campaigns with restraint and responsibility.
“Let us compete decently, but let us remember that at the end of this exercise, there will be no winner if Nigeria is not the winner,” Amupitan said.
‘INEC Has No Candidate’
Amupitan also moved to reassure Nigerians that the electoral commission would remain neutral throughout the 2027 electoral process.
“Let me state unequivocally that INEC has no interest in who wins or loses any election, nor does it favour any political platform. Our only interest is a lawful, transparent, credible and inclusive process,” he declared.
He urged all registered political parties, presidential candidates and other contestants to internalise the commitments contained in the National Peace Accord as the campaign season begins.
Also speaking, President Tinubu has warned political parties and their candidates against weaponising ethnicity, religion and other divisive sentiments as the 2027 election campaign season begins.
The President urged politicians to shun violence and inflammatory rhetoric, challenging them to make the campaign a contest of ideas, policies and competing visions for Nigeria rather than a battle driven by ethnic and religious divisions.
He said political disagreements were inevitable during electioneering but warned that such differences should not be allowed to tear the country apart.
“It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing visions for our country. We may exchange occasional political jabs. But as members of the same household, the same national family, we must never resort to divisive or primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power,” Tinubu said.
The President also cautioned politicians against treating elections as a do-or-die affair, insisting that the survival and unity of Nigeria must remain more important than individual or partisan ambitions.
“Let us remember that elections are not a do-or-die affair. We are partners in the project of nation-building. Win or lose, our country, Nigeria, must be the ultimate winner,” he said.
Tinubu Hails Electoral Technology
Tinubu commended the National Peace Committee for its role in promoting peaceful elections since 2014, while highlighting what he described as improvements in Nigeria’s electoral process through technology.
He cited the Permanent Voter Cards and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System as measures that had helped curb electoral manipulation, including ballot stuffing and ballot snatching.
“These improvements have restored power to the voters, who are now sure that their vote will count. Politicians are now more accountable to the people because votes count,” he said.
The President also pointed to the recent off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, where different political parties emerged victorious, as evidence of growing competitiveness and transparency in the electoral process.
According to him, greater transparency in elections would also help reduce post-election litigation.
He urged civil society organisations, the media and Nigeria’s international partners to continue supporting efforts to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.
Tinubu Pledges APC’s Commitment
With campaigns officially kicking off, Tinubu pledged his commitment and that of the ruling All Progressives Congress to the provisions of the peace accord.
“As the campaign season kicks off, I commit myself and my party, the All Progressives Congress, to the tenets of this accord,” he declared.
He challenged political parties to campaign on issues and present superior solutions to the challenges confronting Nigerians.
“Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people and accelerate Nigeria’s journey from a developing nation to a first-world country,” Tinubu said.
The President subsequently called on opposition parties and other political actors to make similar commitments as the race for the 2027 elections moves into its formal campaign phase.
On his part, Obi called for an election in which the votes of Nigerians would genuinely determine the outcome.
“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?” he said.
The former Anambra State governor also urged Nigerians to punish candidates who violate the peace accord by voting them out of office.
Asked what sanction should await politicians who breach the agreement, Obi said, “Well, the punishment is that Nigerians should not vote for them.”
He challenged political contestants to conduct themselves with dignity, saying those seeking public office must demonstrate the qualities expected of leaders.
“You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person,” Obi 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.”
The campaigns commencement signals the formal opening of a fiercely anticipated political contest, with parties and candidates now expected to take their messages directly to voters across the country.
