…Obi tells 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 Joseph Erunke, Abuja Presidential candidates and leaders of political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections have signed a National Peace Accord, pledging to conduct issue-based campaigns and reject violence, hate speech, personal attacks, fake news and ethnic or religious incitement. The agreement was signed on Tuesday in Abuja under the auspices of the National Peace Committee (NPC, in partnership with The Kukah Centre, ahead of the commencement of the 2027 electioneering campaign on Wednesday. The accord, described by the organisers as more than a ceremonial document, is anchored in the Constitution, the Electoral Act, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines, and other relevant laws governing the electoral process. It is aimed at preventing the intense competition for political power from degenerating into violence, intimidation, misinformation and other activities that could undermine Nigeria’s democracy. However, the absence of some major presidential candidates, including the All Progressives Congress ,APC, candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the African Democratic Congress, ADC, candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was notable. Tinubu was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,SGF, Senator George Akume. Other presidential candidates who attended included the Nigeria Democratic Congress ,NDC candidate, Peter Obi; Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Adewole Adebayo; and African Action Congress ,AAC candidate, Omoyele Sowore. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, also attended the ceremony.Speaking shortly before the signing, Obi urged Nigerians to punish politicians who violate the accord by voting against them at the polls. Asked what punishment should await a candidate or party that breaches the agreement, the former Anambra State governor said: “Well, the punishment is that Nigerians should not vote for them.”Obi said politicians seeking public office must demonstrate the character expected of leaders. “You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person. 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,” he said. The NDC candidate also demanded a credible 2027 election in which Nigerians’ votes would count. “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 asked. Reacting to deaths recorded during the recent Osun State governorship election, Obi said no Nigerian should lose his or her life because of an election. “We should comfort their families, and we should remain prayerful and conduct ourselves in a way that in our democracy, nobody needs to die for an election. It shouldn’t be. It is painful, and I wish it never happened again,” he said. He also questioned the need for politicians to sign a peace accord, arguing that those seeking public office ought to behave responsibly without being compelled to sign an agreement. “We don’t even need to sign this. We’re seeking an office where we should be exemplary,” Obi said. Asked whether he still believed in Nigeria’s electoral process, he replied: “Well, because I want to change the process, I have to go through it. So, I have to believe in it.” The Project Manager of the National Peace Committee at The Kukah Centre, Asabe Ndaye, said the accord was a public commitment backed by existing laws and not merely a ceremonial document. “The Peace Accord is 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 said. She 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. “The accord we’ll be signing today is not just a document, but it is a document that is backed by law,” she stressed. Ndaye 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. She warned that existing laws provide sanctions for offences involving violence, intimidation, inflammatory rhetoric and religious, ethnic or sectional
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