At 2027 Peace Accord Signing, Tinubu Tasks All on Violence, Religious Sentiments

• Atiku, Makinde shun ceremony  

•Musa: no security architecture can guarantee peaceful polls if political actors opt for violence  

•Says US military technology bolstering operational success against insecurity

• Army to move beyond traditional approaches to data management, Shaibu declares

Adedayo Akinwale, Olawale Ajimotokan and Linus Aleke in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, asked all political parties, candidates, and other signatories in the peace accord ahead of the 2027 general election to refrain from exploiting ethnic, religious, and other primordial sentiments in the pursuit of political power.

Tinubu made the plea in Abuja at the traditional signing of Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

He described political disagreements and competing visions as legitimate features of democracy, but warned that campaigns must never be allowed to undermine national cohesion or threaten the bonds holding Nigerians together.

Relatedly, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, said no security or electoral strategy, regardless of its sophistication, could guarantee peaceful elections if political actors chose violence during electioneering. Musa stated this yesterday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Blueprint Newspapers Impact Series and Awards Ceremony.

Separately, the minister emphasised the vital role of American military technology in the effectiveness of ongoing operations against insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other emerging security threats. He spoke during an official visit to Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency, Ambassador Kayode Are, at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, DC.

That was as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, said the contemporary security environment, characterised by technological advancement and increasing reliance on digital systems, required the Nigerian Army to move beyond traditional approaches to record-keeping. Shaibu stated this yesterday while declaring open the fourth edition of the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary Data Management and Record-Keeping Seminar at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess, Abuja.

Tinubu, who was represented at the peace accord signing ceremony by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SSG), Senator George Akume, stated, “In the spirit of the accord we have just signed, we must conduct ourselves in ways that strengthen, not tear, the fabric of our society. It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing visions for our country.

“We may exchange occasional political jabs. 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 entreated political actors to transform the forthcoming campaigns into a contest of ideas, policies, and programmes capable of improving the lives of Nigerians and advancing the country’s development.

The president said, “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 described the signing of the peace accord as a solemn commitment by political leaders to place the country’s interest above personal and partisan ambitions, and ensure a peaceful and transparent electoral process.

He also reiterated his personal commitment and that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the tenets and obligations of the Peace Accord, stressing that the party would conduct its campaign in a manner that promotes peace and national stability.

The president declared that APC rejected violence, hate speech, misinformation, and every form of incitement, including the misuse of emerging technologies and social media to manipulate public opinion or inflame tensions.

He said, “Our party rejects violence, hate speech, the spread of misinformation, including through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, especially via social media.

“We are committed to peaceful, transparent elections that will strengthen political stability, social harmony, economic progress, and our nation’s prosperity. I encourage other political parties and political actors to do the same.”

Tinubu urged the other candidates and their supporters not to consider elections as a do-or-die contest, stating that political actors, irrespective of party affiliation, remain partners in the collective task of building the nation.

He said, “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 commended the National Peace Committee (NPC), particularly former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd); Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for convening the event and for their sustained contribution to peaceful elections in Nigeria.

The president said since 2014, NPC had remained steadfast in promoting peace accords through which political parties and candidates committed themselves to non-violent and issue-based campaigns during national and off-cycle elections.

Tinubu observed that since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999 under the stewardship of Abubakar and his team, election periods had often generated anxiety because of the intense competition for political power.

He, however, stated that despite the tension and disagreements that sometimes accompanied political contests, Nigeria had made significant progress in the transparency and management of elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tinubu also said the deployment of technology by INEC had brought remarkable improvements to the electoral process, notably through the introduction of the Permanent Voter’s Card and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

He said the innovations had helped to curb voting manipulation, ballot stuffing, and ballot snatching at polling units, while strengthening the confidence of citizens that their votes would count.

The president, who cited the three off-season governorship elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and lately, Osun State, between October 2025 and August 2026, added that the improvements had made politicians more accountable to the electorate and demonstrated the capacity of Nigerians to conduct themselves with maturity and restraint during elections.

He stated that different political parties emerged victorious in the elections, which local and international observers described as free, credible, and transparent.

The president observed that transparent electoral processes and outcomes had contributed to reducing post-election litigation, stressing that confidence in the integrity of elections remains crucial to the consolidation of Nigeria’s democracy.

The president called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, development partners, and the media to support efforts to deepen democracy and build a stronger and more vibrant democratic society.

He stressed that democracy went beyond periodic elections and the emergence of political office holders, saying it also encompasses citizens’ participation in national affairs, confidence in public institutions, civic engagement, good governance, justice, and equity.

Tinubu expressed confidence that adherence to the peace accord by political parties, candidates and their supporters would contribute significantly to peaceful campaigns and credible elections in 2027, while strengthening political stability, social harmony, and economic progress in the country.

For his part, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, said the timing of the ceremony was significant because it came on the eve of the commencement of campaigns.

Amupitan said Nigerians were looking forward to an electoral process that would be credible and campaigns that would address the problems confronting the country rather than descend into personal attacks.

The INEC chairman lamented that the recent information gathered by NPC’s Election Security Information Hub showed an “alarming resurgence” of hate speech, toxic polarisation, coordinated misinformation, and personality-driven political discourse.

He stated that the development required urgent attention as political parties prepared for what was expected to be one of the most fiercely contested elections since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

Amupitan stated, “Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 19, 2026, marks the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 general election.

“Before the first campaign flag is unfurled, before the first rally is staged, and before political rhetoric fills our public space, it is necessary that those who seek to lead this nation first gather to establish the ethical boundaries of their contest.

“Electoral contests in a constitutional democracy are not total wars; they are competitive job interviews before the electorate.  Nigerians do not want insults; they want solutions.”

The INEC chairman stressed that the growing influence of social media and artificial intelligence had created new challenges for election management, particularly through the spread of disinformation and what he described as foreign information manipulation and interference.

The professor of law challenged presidential candidates and party leaders to ensure that their supporters, campaign organisations, and online teams complied with the spirit of the peace accord.

He assured political parties that INEC had no preferred candidate and would remain committed to providing a level playing field for all contestants.

Amupitan revealed that the commission was preparing to deploy about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide. He said technology alone could not guarantee peaceful elections, stressing that the conduct of political actors remain critical to the success of the process.

He stated that lessons from recent off-cycle elections, including the Anambra governorship election, Federal Capital Territory Area Council election, and Ekiti and Osun governorship elections were being used to strengthen preparations for 2027.

In his submission, Abubakar disclosed that NPC had facilitated 30 peace accords since 2015, including five national-level accords and 25 at the subnational level.

He said the committee had also established faith-based peace structures in 23 states to complement its national peacebuilding efforts.

The former head of state said the issue-based peace accord was established in response to the growing tendency for political campaigns to rely on sentiments, personal attacks, and character assassination, rather than manifestoes and policy proposals.

He said the accord was designed to encourage parties and candidates to compete on ideas, policies, and programmes, debate opposing views respectfully, organise supporters peacefully, protect voters, respect electoral institutions, and reject hate speech and misinformation.

He lamented the decline in the quality of political discourse, saying campaigns have increasingly become platforms for name-calling and personal insults.

Abubakar stated, “Over the years, political campaigns and rallies have neglected the significance of party manifestos and programmes, and created a platform for political parties to resort to name-calling, personal insults, and character assassination.”

He explained that the provisions of the accord were anchored on the country’s constitution, Electoral Act, and other relevant laws, making them more than mere political declarations.

Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf Dantalle, appealed to political parties, candidates, campaign councils, and spokespersons to respect the agreement and conduct their campaigns with restraint.

Dantalle urged political actors to avoid fake news, personal attacks, and insults, while promoting tolerance and civility in political discourse.

The committee, for its part, appealed to the parties to make the 2027 campaign a contest of ideas rather than a battle of personalities. It said NPC established the Election Security Information Hub to monitor electoral offences and security developments, and provide early warnings and evidence-based analysis to stakeholders.

Abubakar, who was represented by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), urged political parties, candidates, campaign councils, and spokespersons to use the campaign period to address issues of concern to Nigerians and avoid inflammatory rhetoric.

Similarly, Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, pledged the readiness of police personnel to provide security for Nigerians during the 2027 elections.

Disu, who was represented by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Umar Shehu, said the police was not interested in who won or lost, but was only interested and committed to a peaceful election where Nigerians of eligible age will exercise their franchise without fear.

The presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, in his contribution, said politicians should not require a peace accord to behave responsibly.

Obi expressed concern over deaths recorded during elections, particularly the recently concluded Osun governorship election, and called on political actors to ensure that no Nigerian lost his or her life because of an electoral contest.

He emphasised that candidates seeking public office ought to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the dignity of the positions they aspired to occupy.

Obi stated, “We don’t even need to sign this. We’re seeking an office where we should be exemplary. You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person.

“Can we have an election where people’s vote will count?”

He identified the credibility of the electoral process as his major concern ahead of 2027.

Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, and his counterpart from Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, were absent as the other presidential candidates signed the peace accord ahead of the 2027 general election.

Musa: No Security Architecture Can Ensure Peaceful Polls If Politicians Choose Violence

Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, said no security strategy, regardless of its sophistication, could guarantee peaceful elections if political actors chose violence during electioneering.

He said no electoral law could succeed where misinformation was allowed to replace truth, adding that ensuring credible and peaceful elections is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders.

The minister also stated that responsible journalism had become an essential pillar of national security, especially now that information travelled faster than facts, opinions competed with evidence, and falsehoods could spread across continents in seconds.

He stressed that the integrity of Nigeria’s elections would depend not only on the actions of electoral officials and security agencies, but also on the ability of the media to inform rather than inflame, educate rather than manipulate, and build confidence rather than deepen division.

Delivering a keynote address, themed, “Security Challenges and the Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections”, at the 2025 Blueprint Newspapers Impact Series and Awards Ceremony in Abuja, yesterday, Musa said the deployment of security personnel during elections was no longer sufficient because the character of security itself had changed.

Represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Policy and Strategy, Major-General Olufemi Akinjobi (Rtd.), the minister stated, “No security architecture, regardless of how sophisticated, can guarantee peaceful elections if political actors choose violence over dialogue. No electoral law can succeed where misinformation is allowed to replace truth. No democratic institution can flourish where citizens lose faith in the rule of law.”

He added, “Today’s threats rarely announce themselves with uniforms or conventional weapons.

“They emerge through cyberspace, spread through manipulated information, exploit economic hardship, inflame ethnic and religious divisions, and undermine confidence in public institutions.

“Increasingly, they seek not merely to influence how citizens vote, but whether citizens believe in democracy itself. That is why I submit that election security can no longer be viewed simply as the protection of polling stations.

“It is, fundamentally, the protection of democratic legitimacy. This distinction matters because, while elections may be won at polling units, democracies are sustained by public trust. Public trust has become one of the most strategic national assets any country can possess.

Musa said security, in its truest sense, was not merely the absence of violence; but the presence of confidence.

He explained, “It is the assurance that every Nigerian can speak freely, assemble peacefully and vote without fear. It is the certainty that our institutions will act with integrity, professionalism and fidelity to the Constitution.

“And it is the enduring belief that our democracy is strong enough to accommodate competition without sacrificing cohesion, and diversity without diminishing our shared identity.”

The minister said, “The election of a president, governor or legislator is undoubtedly important,” but there was something even greater that must emerge victorious in 2027: Nigeria herself.

He stated, “Long after campaign slogans have faded, after ballots have been counted and after winners have been declared, this nation must remain united, secure and confident in the strength of her democratic institutions.”

Former Zamfara State Governor and Chairman of the occasion, Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar, called for a credible and transparent 2027 general election, saying insecurity should not be allowed to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.

The former governor said the ruling party had a responsibility to demonstrate its commitment to democracy by ensuring that the election was free and fair.

He stated, “Coming from the ruling party, the signal I will send to others is that, despite the challenges of insecurity, the integrity of this election will be one of the first of its kind, by God’s grace.”

Earlier, Managing Director of Blueprint Newspaper Limited, Mallam Salisu Umar, said the cardinal purpose of the lecture and award ceremony was to create a platform, where specific issues of national interest could be tabled and discussed intellectually outside the traditional newspaper space.

The occasion was also a platform to honour Nigerians who had demonstrated exemplary leadership in governance, policy clarity, and transformational impact across Nigeria’s public and private sectors, Umar said.

He said this year’s lecture topic was carefully chosen to address the current priorities centring around national safety, and was equally chosen as the organisation’s modest contribution to the lingering security challenges troubling the country.

U.S. Military Technology Bolstering Operational Success Against Insecurity

Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd) emphasised the vital role of US military technology, including advanced drone capabilities and satellite intelligence, in bolstering ongoing operational success against insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other emerging security threats. Musa stated this during an official visit to Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency, Ambassador Kayode Are, at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, DC.

He highlighted Nigeria’s policy of diversifying its international defence partnerships while maintaining strong traditional alliances.

He promised that all strategic engagements were conducted with complete fidelity to Nigeria’s national sovereignty.

According to a statement by Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Defence, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the strategic engagement focused on consolidating the longstanding bilateral defence alliance between Nigeria and the United States, particularly in the areas of counter-terrorism operations and the modernisation of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Welcoming the minister, Are commended the ongoing security sector reforms under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He reaffirmed the embassy’s commitment to facilitating the necessary diplomatic channels to enhance technical training, intelligence sharing, and equipment support for the military.

The discussions also addressed the evolving geopolitical and security environment in the Sahel, underscoring the urgent need for collaborative regional security frameworks to effectively counter extremist threats.

Musa subsequently inspected the embassy’s Defence Section, where he praised the efforts of the Defence Attaché, Air Commodore Valentine Oreaki, and his staff.

He encouraged the personnel to maintain high standards of professionalism, discipline, and dedication in the execution of their duties for the armed forces and the nation.

The visit rounded off a series of week-long activities in which the minister participated as a member of a high-level federal government delegation to Washington, led by National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Shaibu: Army to Move Beyond Traditional Approaches to Data Management

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, said the contemporary security environment, characterised by rapid technological advancement and increasing reliance on digital systems, required the Nigerian Army to move beyond traditional approaches to record-keeping.

Shaibu called for integrated, secure, and technology-enabled systems that promoted efficiency, interoperability, and institutional resilience, while urging personnel to strengthen their capacity in data governance, cybersecurity, records preservation, and information assurance.

Declaring open the fourth edition of the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary Data Management and Record-Keeping Seminar at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess, Abuja, yesterday, the COAS described effective data management and record-keeping as a strategic capability essential to informed decision-making, operational effectiveness, accountability, and the ongoing transformation of the Nigerian Army.

Represented by Dean, Faculty of Combat Arms Research, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Major-General Eyitayo Oyinlola, Shaibu said while considerable attention was devoted to force structure, equipment acquisition and training, the effectiveness of these efforts ultimately depended on the availability of accurate, secure, and timely information.

He stressed that decisions on recruitment, commissioning, postings, promotions, career progression, welfare, logistics, force generation, and operational planning were fundamentally dependent on the quality, integrity and accessibility of relevant data.

Shaibu emphasised that data management and record-keeping were collective institutional responsibilities requiring discipline, professionalism, and accountability at every level of command.

He charged participants to take full advantage of the seminar to deepen their knowledge, exchange ideas, and translate lessons learnt into measurable improvements across their respective formations, units, and establishments.

Earlier, Acting Military Secretary (Army), Brigadier-General Mathew Oyekola, described efficient data management and record-keeping as indispensable enablers of sound administration, institutional memory, and operational effectiveness.

Oyekola stated that the seminar aligned with Shaibu’s Command Philosophy of “Advancing the Transformation of the Nigerian Army into a More Professional, Adaptable, Combat Ready and Resilient Force Capable of Decisively Discharging its Constitutional Responsibilities Within a Joint and Multi-Agency Environment”.

Delivering the keynote lecture, titled, “Efficient Data Management and Record Keeping: A Catalyst for Enhancing Career Management and Administration in the Nigerian Army,” Major-General Nosakhare Ugbo (Rtd.) maintained that modern career management could no longer depend on manual and fragmented systems.

Nosakhare stated that accurate and reliable data directly impacted recruitment, commissioning, postings, promotions, courses, appointments, welfare and retirement benefits.