President Bola Tinubu has urged political parties and their candidates to shun violence, ethnic and religious sentiments as campaigns for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
Tinubu made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja at the signing of the peace accord ahead of the elections, stressing that political campaigns should be centred on competing ideas, policies and visions for the development of Nigeria rather than divisive rhetoric.
The President, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, said political disagreements were inevitable during electioneering but warned politicians against allowing such differences to threaten national unity.
He said elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair, urging political actors to place the interest of Nigeria above personal and partisan ambitions.
“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,” Tinubu 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.”
The President commended the National Peace Committee for its sustained efforts in promoting peaceful elections since 2014, saying Nigeria had made significant progress in election management through the deployment of technology.
He specifically cited the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as measures that had helped to reduce electoral malpractices, including voting manipulation, ballot stuffing and ballot snatching.
According to him, the reforms have strengthened the confidence of voters and increased political accountability by ensuring that votes are more effectively captured in the electoral process.
“These improvements have restored power to the voters, who are now sure that their vote will count. Politicians are now more accountable to the people because votes count,” he said.
Tinubu also referenced the off-cycle governorship elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states between October 2025 and August 2026, noting that different political parties emerged victorious in the respective contests.
He said the outcomes of the elections, which he noted were described by observers as free, credible and transparent, demonstrated the growing competitiveness of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The President maintained that greater transparency and credibility in elections would help reduce post-election disputes and litigation, while calling on civil society organisations, the media and Nigeria’s international partners to continue supporting efforts to deepen democracy.
Tinubu further pledged the commitment of his administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the principles contained in the peace accord.
“As the campaign season kicks off, I commit myself and my party, the All Progressives Congress, to the tenets of this accord,” he said.
He urged political parties and candidates to make the 2027 election a contest of ideas, policies and development programmes.
“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 added.
Tinubu consequently called on all political parties and political actors to make similar commitments to peaceful, issue-based and responsible electioneering ahead of the 2027 general elections.