President Bola Tinubu has urged political parties and actors preparing for the 2027 general elections to shun ethnic and religious sentiments, warning against using divisive identities as tools for seeking political power.
Tinubu spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the January and February 2027 general elections.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President urged political parties and candidates to commit themselves to peaceful and transparent elections.
He described the signing of the accord as a solemn pledge by political leaders to place the national interest above personal and partisan ambitions.
Tinubu also commended the National Peace Committee (NPC), particularly former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for their efforts to promote peaceful elections since 2014.
The President said Nigeria’s electoral process had recorded significant improvements through the deployment of technology by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the introduction of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has helped curb electoral malpractice, including ballot stuffing and the snatching of ballot boxes.
“Politicians are now more accountable to the people because votes count,” Tinubu said, adding that recent elections had also demonstrated Nigerians’ ability to conduct themselves with maturity and restraint.
He cited the off-cycle governorship elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states between October 2025 and August 15, 2026, noting that different political parties emerged victorious and that local and international observers described the polls as free, credible and transparent.
Tinubu said greater transparency in elections would also help reduce post-election 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 called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, international partners and the media to work together to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.
He stressed that democracy goes beyond periodic elections, noting that it also involves citizens’ participation in governance, trust in public institutions, civic engagement and collective efforts toward building a just and equitable society.
Tinubu acknowledged that political campaigns would naturally involve disagreements and competing visions for the country but warned politicians against allowing such differences to threaten national unity.
“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.
He urged political parties to campaign based on ideas, policies and their visions for improving Nigerians’ lives.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The President also pledged his commitment, and that of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to the provisions of the peace accord.
He said the APC rejects violence, hate speech, misinformation, including content generated through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, particularly on social media.
Tinubu called on other political parties and candidates to make similar commitments, stressing that peaceful and credible elections were essential to Nigeria’s political stability, social harmony and economic development.
He concluded with an appeal to politicians to approach the 2027 elections with restraint, saying the outcome should not be treated as a matter of life and death.
“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 said.
