By Chesa Chesa
President Bola Tinubu has urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to shun ethnic, religious and other primordial sentiments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the signing of the Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
The President said while political disagreements and competing visions were legitimate features of democracy, campaigns must not be allowed to undermine national cohesion or threaten the bonds holding Nigerians together.
“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 said.
Tinubu urged political actors to make the 2027 campaigns a contest of ideas, policies and programmes capable of improving the lives of Nigerians and advancing national development.
“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 said.
The President also reaffirmed his commitment and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peace Accord, promising that the ruling party would conduct its campaign in a manner that promotes peace and national stability.
“As the campaign season kicks off, I commit myself and my party, the All Progressives Congress, to the tenets of this accord,” Tinubu said.
He declared that the APC rejects violence, hate speech, misinformation and all forms of incitement, including the misuse of artificial intelligence and social media to manipulate public opinion or inflame tensions.
“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,” he said.
Tinubu reminded political parties, candidates and their supporters that elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair, stressing that all political actors remain partners in the task of nation-building.
“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 added.
The President commended the National Peace Committee, particularly former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; the Sultan of Sokoto; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for convening the event and sustaining efforts to promote peaceful elections.
He recalled that since 2014, the committee had promoted peace accords through which political parties and candidates commit themselves to non-violent and issue-based campaigns during national and off-cycle elections.
Tinubu noted that election periods had often generated anxiety since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, owing to intense competition for political power.
He, however, said the country had made significant progress in the transparency and management of elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the deployment of technology, particularly the Permanent Voter’s Card and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), has improved the electoral process and helped to curb voting manipulation, ballot stuffing and ballot snatching.
The President said the innovations had also strengthened citizens’ confidence that their votes would count while making politicians more accountable to the electorate.
He cited the off-season governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States between October 2025 and August 15, 2026, saying different political parties emerged victorious in the polls, which local and international observers described as free, credible and transparent.
He further observed that transparent electoral processes and credible outcomes had helped reduce post-election litigation, stressing that confidence in the integrity of elections remained crucial to consolidating Nigeria’s democracy.
Tinubu described the signing of the Peace Accord as a solemn commitment by political leaders to place the national interest above personal and partisan ambitions and ensure peaceful and transparent elections in 2027.
He called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to support efforts to deepen democracy and build a stronger democratic society.
The President stressed that democracy goes beyond periodic elections and the emergence of political office holders, noting that it also encompasses citizens’ participation in national affairs, confidence in public institutions, civic engagement, good governance, justice and equity.
He expressed confidence that adherence to the Peace Accord by political parties, candidates and their supporters would contribute to peaceful campaigns and credible elections in 2027, while strengthening political stability, social harmony and economic progress in the country.
