The National Peace Committee has brought political parties and presidential candidates together in Abuja to sign the first National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The initiative comes as political parties prepare for the commencement of campaigns and step up mobilisation ahead of the elections.
The accord commits political parties and candidates to peaceful political engagement, issue-based campaigns and responsible conduct throughout the electoral process.
The National Peace Committee has used similar agreements during previous election cycles to encourage peaceful competition and reduce tensions among political actors.
The latest peace initiative comes amid concerns over political violence, hate speech, misinformation and disinformation, as well as ethnic and religious profiling and declining public confidence in Nigeria's electoral process.
Under the accord, political actors are expected to campaign without violence, inflammatory rhetoric or other actions capable of undermining peaceful participation.
The committee's first national peace accord traditionally focuses on conduct during campaigns and encourages political actors to promote issue-based competition.
Subsequent peace commitments typically focus on accepting credible election results and using lawful channels to challenge disputed outcomes.
The Abuja signing therefore marks an early attempt to establish rules for peaceful political engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.
The National Peace Committee is expected to continue engaging political parties, candidates and other stakeholders as preparations for the elections intensify.
The committee's intervention is aimed at keeping political competition within democratic boundaries and encouraging parties to resolve disagreements through dialogue and lawful mechanisms rather than violence.
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