• Atiku, Makinde shun ceremony •Musa: no security architecture can guarantee peaceful polls if political actors opt for violence •Says US military technology bolstering operational success against insecurity • Army to move beyond traditional approaches to data management, Shaibu declares Adedayo Akinwale, Olawale Ajimotokan and Linus Aleke in Abuja President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, asked all political parties, candidates, and other signatories in the peace accord ahead of the 2027 general election to refrain from exploiting ethnic, religious, and other primordial sentiments in the pursuit of political power. Tinubu made the plea in Abuja at the traditional signing of Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He described political disagreements and competing visions as legitimate features of democracy, but warned that campaigns must never be allowed to undermine national cohesion or threaten the bonds holding Nigerians together. Relatedly, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, said no security or electoral strategy, regardless of its sophistication, could guarantee peaceful elections if political actors chose violence during electioneering. Musa stated this yesterday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Blueprint Newspapers Impact Series and Awards Ceremony. Separately, the minister emphasised the vital role of American military technology in the effectiveness of ongoing operations against insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other emerging security threats. He spoke during an official visit to Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency, Ambassador Kayode Are, at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, DC. That was as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, said the contemporary security environment, characterised by technological advancement and increasing reliance on digital systems, required the Nigerian Army to move beyond traditional approaches to record-keeping. Shaibu stated this yesterday while declaring open the fourth edition of the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary Data Management and Record-Keeping Seminar at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess, Abuja. Tinubu, who was represented at the peace accord signing ceremony by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SSG), Senator George Akume, stated, “In the spirit of the accord we have just signed, we must conduct ourselves in ways that strengthen, not tear, the fabric of our society. 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.” He entreated political actors to transform the forthcoming campaigns into a contest of ideas, policies, and programmes capable of improving the lives of Nigerians and advancing the country’s development. The president said, “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.” He described the signing of the peace accord as a solemn commitment by political leaders to place the country’s interest above personal and partisan ambitions, and ensure a peaceful and transparent electoral process. He also reiterated his personal commitment and that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the tenets and obligations of the Peace Accord, stressing that the party would conduct its campaign in a manner that promotes peace and national stability. The president declared that APC rejected violence, hate speech, misinformation, and every form of incitement, including the misuse of emerging technologies and social media to manipulate public opinion or inflame tensions. He said, “Our party rejects violence, hate speech, the spread of misinformation, including through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, especially via social media. “We are committed to peaceful, transparent elections that will strengthen political stability, social harmony, economic progress, and our nation’s prosperity. I encourage other political parties and political actors to do the same.” Tinubu urged the other candidates and their supporters not to consider elections as a do-or-die contest, stating that political actors, irrespective of party affiliation, remain partners in the collective task of building the nation. He said, “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
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