The National Peace Committee has called on political parties, presidential candidates and other political actors to prioritise issue-based campaigns and shun hate speech, personal attacks, misinformation and violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Chairman of the committee, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, represented by Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the commencement of political campaigns for the 2027 elections.
Abubakar said the National Peace Committee had, since 2015, intervened in about 19 peace and conflict situations at the national level, while also establishing peace structures in 23 states to complement its efforts.
He said the Peace Accord, first introduced in 2019, was designed to encourage political parties and candidates to conduct campaigns based on ideas, policies and programmes rather than personal attacks and identity politics.
According to him, political campaigns in recent years have increasingly degenerated into personal insults, inflammatory rhetoric and attacks capable of creating tension and inciting citizens against one another.
He said the committee had continued to strengthen its peace-building initiatives by working within the framework of the Constitution, Electoral Act and other relevant laws.
Abubakar urged political actors to demonstrate tolerance, decency and responsibility in their public communications, particularly on social media.
He said, “Political campaigns have taken away the emphasis on public discussions and opposition and have created a toxic atmosphere that has the potential to incite citizens against the state, against other political parties and families.”
He appealed to candidates, party chairmen and supporters to reject fake news and misinformation, respect political differences and uphold the spirit of the Peace Accord.
The former Head of State also expressed appreciation to members of the National Peace Committee, the European Union and Switzerland for their support and partnership in promoting peace and democratic stability in Nigeria.
IPAC urges inclusive politics
In his goodwill message, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, said Nigeria’s political process must be inclusive and accommodate all segments of society irrespective of religious, ethnic or political affiliations.
Dantalle said political parties had a responsibility to ensure that governments produced through democratic elections were legitimate and respected the constitutional authority of the people.
He called for greater attention to justice, fairness and inclusivity in the electoral process, stressing that peace could not be sustained in the absence of justice.
He also urged political parties and stakeholders to address infractions capable of undermining the credibility of elections and ensure that every contestant was given a fair opportunity to participate.
INEC: 2027 campaigns must be marketplace of ideas
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, said the Peace Accord was particularly significant as the country was set to commence campaigns for the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan said August 19, 2026, marked the statutory commencement of campaigns for the 2027 general elections, adding that the signing of the accord on the eve of the campaign period was deliberate.
He urged political parties to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and regulations governing political campaigns.
The INEC chairman said the Nigerian electorate was looking for credible elections and campaigns that addressed the country’s pressing challenges, including the economy, security, infrastructure, healthcare, education and social inclusion.
He warned against the increasing use of character assassination, identity politics, misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric.
According to him, “The 2027 campaign should be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war.”
Amupitan said INEC was strengthening its logistics, technology and personnel capacity ahead of the elections, adding that the commission was preparing to deploy a large workforce across thousands of polling units nationwide.
He stressed that INEC could only provide the platform and referee the electoral contest, while the quality and credibility of the election would depend significantly on the conduct of political parties and candidates.
He described the Peace Accord as a covenant and social contract requiring political actors to lead by example.
Amupitan urged candidates to focus on their programmes and policies, respect electoral laws and institutions, avoid spreading unverified information and accept the outcome of credible elections.
He said INEC had no preferred candidate or political party, stressing that its interest remained the conduct of transparent, credible, inclusive and peaceful elections.
Police warn against hate speech, political violence
Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, represented by Deputy Inspector-General Umar Shehu Nadada, urged political parties, candidates and supporters to exercise restraint in their campaigns and public communications.
He said the language used during political campaigns mattered, stressing that campaigns should be about ideas, policies, programmes and visions for the country rather than hatred, intimidation, ethnic mobilisation or violence.
The police authorities warned against inflammatory statements, disinformation and deliberate manipulation of ethnic or religious sentiments, noting that comments made on television and social media could reach millions of people within seconds and trigger violence.
The police also warned against the use of illegal firearms and other weapons for political purposes, describing such acts as serious threats to national security.
Disu urged political actors to stop mobilising young people for violence during elections and abandoning them afterwards.
He called for greater inclusion of women, youths, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He said a successful election was one in which citizens felt safe and confident enough to participate freely without intimidation, discrimination or violence.
The signing of the National Peace Accord brings together political parties, candidates, electoral authorities, security agencies and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections, with a renewed commitment to peaceful and issue-based political campaigns
