By Emmanuel Oloniruha

As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, political leaders have renewed their commitment to peaceful and issue-based campaigns through a National Peace Accord.

The accord, signed on Aug.

18 in Abuja, seeks to move political campaigns away from personal attacks, hate speech, misinformation and incitement towards debates centred on policies, programmes and solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.

The pact was signed by presidential candidates, national chairmen of political parties, and candidates for governorship and National Assembly elections.

Among those who endorsed the accord were President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume.

Others included Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC), the initiative therefore places the conduct of political actors at the centre of efforts to protect Nigeria’s democratic stability.

Since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, the country has maintained an uninterrupted cycle of electoral transitions, in spite of recurring tensions surrounding elections.

Over the years, however, electoral competition has frequently been accompanied by violence, inflammatory rhetoric, hate speech, misinformation and attacks against political opponents.

Against this backdrop, successive election cycles have underscored the need for mechanisms capable of encouraging political actors to pursue their ambitions without threatening national peace.

The NPC, established in 2013 under the leadership of former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd.), has consequently emerged as one of the key platforms for such interventions.

In addition, Catholic Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah serves as the Convener, alongside other eminent Nigerians.

Since 2015, the committee has facilitated 30 peace accords, including five at the national level before major general elections and 25 at the sub-national level for off-cycle elections.

According to Abubakar, represented by NPC member, Gen. Martin Agwai (rtd.), the committee has also established independent faith-based peace structures in 23 states to support its peace-building efforts.

More importantly, the 2027 accord seeks to address a recurring problem; the gap between political commitments and actual campaign conduct.

Under the agreement, political parties and candidates are expected to compete fairly on ideas, policies and programmes, debate opposing views respectfully and organise their supporters peacefully.

In addition, political actors are required to protect voters, respect electoral institutions and reject hate speech, incitement, misinformation and narratives capable of provoking intimidation or violence.

Abubakar noted that political campaigns had drifted from party manifestos to name-calling, personal insults and character assassination.

He therefore urged parties, candidates, campaign councils and spokespersons to focus on issues affecting Nigerians and comply with both the spirit and letter of the accord.

However, evidence from previous elections suggests that signing such agreements does not automatically translate into compliance.

More broadly, the history of electoral violence shows the consequences when political competition crosses the line into intimidation and bloodshed.

There is no single authoritative national database providing a definitive cumulative figure for deaths arising from electoral violence since the NPC began its interventions.

Different organisations use varying definitions, geographical parameters and timeframes.

Some count only election-day violence, while others include politically motivated killings during campaigns and the post-election period.

Nevertheless, the available evidence remains disturbing.

For the 2015 electoral cycle, the Nigeria Security Tracker documented 106 election-related deaths, including 62 fatalities in the months preceding the election and another 44 afterwards.

Similarly, the European Union Election Observation Mission recorded about 145 deaths associated with election-related violence during the 2019 campaign period and the three election days.

Other Nigerian monitoring organisations, using broader timeframes, however, recorded significantly higher figures.

Against this history, the 2027 Peace Accord is expected to provide more than a symbolic commitment to peaceful elections.

Presenting a paper titled, “National Context of Emerging Issues: From Commitment to Accountability,” Asabe Ndahi, Programme Officer at the Kukah Centre, said previous election data showed a 43 per cent breach of the commitment to conduct issue-based campaigns.

Ndahi identified three major risks to the 2027 elections; violence and intimidation, electoral manipulation, and political polarisation, which could undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.

She said these included political violence, voter threats, attacks on electoral infrastructure, vote-buying, voter suppression, malpractice, hate speech, misinformation and identity-based mobilisation, all of which are addressed under the Electoral Act 2026.

She added that breaches involving personal insults and fake news or disinformation rose to 90 per cent, with party spokespersons accounting for 58 per cent of violations across 32 states.

Ndahi stressed that addressing these vulnerabilities early was essential to maintaining national stability and public trust, while raising questions about how the 2027 Peace Accord commitments would be monitored and enforced.

Consequently, for the accord to achieve its purpose, political leaders must translate their signatures into responsible conduct throughout the election cycle.

President Tinubu, represented by Akume, reaffirmed the commitment of the APC to the pact and cautioned political actors against using modern communication tools to inflame tensions.

In particular, the president warned against using social media and artificial intelligence to spread misinformation and incite violence.

He also urged political parties and candidates to see elections as an opportunity for nation-building rather than a “do-or-die” contest.

Similarly, he advised political actors against exploiting ethnic and religious identities for political advantage.

“It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing visions for our country.

“But as members of the same household, the same national family, we must never resort to divisive and primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power,” he said.

Speaking after signing the document, Obi called for personal conduct that reflected the dignity of public office.

“You cannot answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person,” he said, urging Nigerians not to support candidates or parties that violated the provisions of the peace pact.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has placed the responsibility for peaceful elections on all stakeholders, stressing that electoral technology alone cannot guarantee democratic stability.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, urged political parties to raise the quality of public discourse and focus their campaigns on solutions to the challenges facing Nigerians.

“Nigerians do not want insults; they want solutions. Tell the voters what you will do for the economy, security, healthcare and education.

“Let the 2027 campaign be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war,” he said.

Beyond this, Amupitan warned against digital misinformation, premature declaration of election results and identity-based provocation.

He reaffirmed the commission’s neutrality, saying INEC had no candidate and no interest in who won or lost an election.

“Our responsibility is to ensure the ballot is protected and the will of the voters is reflected in the final results,” he said.

According to him, public campaigns for the 2027 general elections commenced on Aug. 19, while presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Jan. 16, 2027.

Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for Feb. 6, 2027.

On the commission’s preparations, Amupitan said operational activities were already underway, with plans to deploy 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.

He cited recent off-cycle elections in Anambra, Ekiti, the FCT and Osun as evidence of improvements in electoral administration.

Nevertheless, he stressed that technological safeguards such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) could not substitute for political decorum.

“It is not the signatures written on this Accord today that preserve democracy; it is the character of the leaders who hold the pen,” Amupitan said.

Similarly, the security agencies have warned that inflammatory political rhetoric could translate into physical violence.

Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Umar Shehu, warned politicians against deploying thugs or manipulating ethnic and religious sentiments.

He also warned that acquiring or using firearms for political purposes would be treated as a major security threat.

“Political power is temporary, but Nigeria is permanent. No political victory is worth the loss of any Nigerian life, and no ambition is worth the destruction of our communities,” Disu said.

He pledged that law enforcement agencies would remain professional and impartial and operate within the rule of law.

Beyond campaign rhetoric and security, however, political stability also depends on the fairness of the electoral environment.

National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, therefore reminded political leaders that peace could not exist without justice and fairness.

He called for an end to administrative practices that could disadvantage opposition parties, including excessive campaign fees and denial of access to public facilities.

“When we pursue peace in the absence of justice, it becomes illusory,” Dantalle said.

His position highlights another dimension of the accord; political parties must not only refrain from violence but must also have confidence that electoral institutions and government authorities will treat contestants fairly.

At the same time, international development partners have urged Nigeria to consolidate its democratic gains through free, credible and peaceful elections.

Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, represented by Agnieszka Torres, Chargé d’Affaires of the EU Delegation, reminded political actors of Nigeria’s influence across Africa.

“As the largest democracy in Africa, elections in Nigeria carry the responsibility to lead and inspire other African countries,” Mignot said.

He urged political leaders to reject hate speech and serve as positive role models for young Nigerians.

Likewise, Patrick Egloff, Switzerland’s Ambassador to Nigeria, represented by Siamak Rouhani, Chargé d’Affaires at the Swiss Embassy, said democracy depended on managing differences constructively.

He noted that concerns about security, livelihoods and governance should occupy the centre of the 2027 campaign.

The significance of the 2027 National Peace Accord will therefore not be determined by the ceremony at which political leaders signed it.

Rather, its real test will come as campaigns intensify, political interests clash and candidates compete for votes across the country.

Analysts say the accord’s success will depend on whether political actors translate their commitments into peaceful campaign conduct.

They added that the 2027 elections offer an opportunity to demonstrate that political competition can centre on policies and ideas without hate speech, incitement or violence. (NAN)