By Ayo Ayodele
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged his commitment, alongside the All Progressives Congress (APC), to a peaceful, transparent and issue-based campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu made the commitment on Tuesday in Abuja in remarks delivered on his behalf by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the signing of a peace accord by political parties and candidates ahead of the elections.
The President commended the National Peace Committee (NPC), particularly former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; the Sultan of Sokoto; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for promoting peaceful elections and encouraging political actors to commit to non-violent campaigns.
He said the country owed the committee a debt of gratitude for sustaining peace accords since 2014, aimed at ensuring that political parties and candidates conduct issue-based campaigns during national and off-cycle elections.
Tinubu acknowledged the tensions that often accompany elections in Nigeria but said the country had made significant progress in electoral transparency and management, particularly through the use of technology by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the introduction of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has helped curb electoral malpractices such as voting manipulation, ballot stuffing and ballot snatching.
He said the improvements had strengthened voters’ confidence that their votes would count while making politicians more accountable to the electorate.
The President also cited the off-cycle governorship elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states between October 2025 and August 15, 2026, saying the polls demonstrated Nigeria’s growing capacity to conduct credible elections.
He noted that different political parties won the three elections and that local and international observers described the polls as free, credible and transparent.
Tinubu said transparent electoral processes would also help reduce post-election disputes and litigation.
“We have gathered today to commit ourselves to a peaceful and transparent electoral process. Signing this peace accord is a solemn pledge to the Nigerian people that we, as leaders, will put the nation’s interest above personal or partisan ambitions,” he said.
The President urged Nigerians, civil society organisations, international partners and the media to support efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and promote civic participation.
He stressed that democracy went beyond periodic elections, saying it also involved citizens’ participation in national affairs, building trust in public institutions and working collectively to achieve good governance.
Tinubu warned political actors against exploiting ethnic and religious sentiments during the campaign, urging them instead to focus on competing ideas, policies and solutions to the country’s challenges.
“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 further pledged that the APC would abide by the terms of the peace accord and reject violence, hate speech, misinformation, including misinformation generated or amplified through artificial intelligence, and incitement, particularly on social media.
He urged other political parties and candidates to make similar commitments as the 2027 campaign season begins.
Tinubu also reminded political actors that elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair, stressing that all parties remained partners in the task of nation-building.
“Win or lose, our country, Nigeria, must be the ultimate winner,” he said.