Campaign Rallies Officially Kick Off Today In Nigeria
Political parties and presidential candidates have pledged to pursue issue-based campaigns and avoid conduct capable of undermining Nigeria’s 2027 general elections as the official campaign period gets underway.
The commitment was made in Abuja on Tuesday at a national peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee in collaboration with The Kukah Centre, ahead of the commencement of public campaigns and rallies on Wednesday. The agreement focuses on rejecting electoral violence, hate speech, misinformation, personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, signed the accord alongside presidential candidates including Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore, Adewole Adebayo, Donald Duke and Chibuzor Okereke, as well as leaders of several political parties. The event was attended by INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, lawmakers, diplomats and other political stakeholders. However, some major contenders, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, were absent.
The accord comes as political parties prepare for a highly competitive election expected to centre on insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, infrastructure, healthcare, education and the credibility of the electoral process. While Tinubu and INEC urged candidates to compete through policies and ideas, concerns over the effectiveness of previous peace agreements emerged at the event, particularly following violence associated with the recent Osun governorship election. Sowore questioned whether the latest pact would have any impact without enforceable sanctions, while Obi called for candidates to ensure that their personal conduct reflects the responsibilities of the offices they seek. INEC, meanwhile, said it was preparing to deploy about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units, while the police pledged to provide security without favouring any candidate or party.
