President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged political parties and their candidates to shun violence, hate speech, misinformation and the use of ethnic and religious sentiments as the 2027 general elections approach.
Tinubu made the call on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at the signing of the Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 presidential election in Abuja. The President was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
The President commended the National Peace Committee, particularly its Chairman and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for sustaining the initiative since 2014. He said the peace accords had helped commit political parties and candidates to non-violent and issue-based campaigns.
Tinubu also highlighted what he described as significant improvements in Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly through the use of technology by the Independent National Electoral Commission. He said the Permanent Voter Card and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System had strengthened the credibility of elections and helped reduce manipulation, ballot stuffing and other electoral abuses.
According to him, the three off-season elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States between October 2025 and August 15, 2026, demonstrated Nigeria’s growing capacity to conduct credible elections. He noted that different political parties emerged victorious in the polls, while local and international observers described the exercises as free, credible and transparent.
The President called on political actors to campaign on ideas and policies capable of improving the lives of Nigerians, stressing that disagreements during campaigns should not degenerate into divisions based on ethnicity or religion. He urged civil society organisations, the media, foreign partners and citizens to work together towards strengthening democracy, public institutions and civic participation.
Tinubu further pledged the commitment of himself and the All Progressives Congress to the Peace Accord, declaring that the party rejected violence, hate speech, misinformation, including AI-generated misinformation, and incitement, particularly on social media. He urged all political parties to uphold the same principles, stressing that elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair and that, regardless of who wins or loses, Nigeria must remain the ultimate winner.
