The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has urged political parties and candidates contesting the 2027 General Election to honour the commitments contained in the National Peace Accord, warning that the credibility of the polls depends not only on the electoral umpire but also on the conduct of political actors.
Amupitan spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the signing of the First National Peace Accord by political parties and candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
He noted that Wednesday, August 19, 2026, marks the commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the elections, with the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
Describing the signing of the accord as a significant milestone, the INEC chairman said political leaders must establish clear ethical boundaries for the electoral contest before campaigns fully take off.
“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,” he said.
Amupitan Demands Issue-Based Campaigns
Amupitan urged candidates to focus their campaigns on policies, programmes and solutions to Nigeria’s challenges rather than character assassination, identity politics and inflammatory rhetoric.
He said the peace accord represented a commitment to issue-based campaigns and warned that Nigeria’s problems were too important to be drowned out by bitterness and divisive political rhetoric.
The INEC chairman also cautioned that the accord would have little value if party leaders failed to ensure compliance by their supporters and campaign structures.
“It is not the signatures written on this Accord today that preserve democracy; it is the character of the leaders who hold the pen,” he said.
He therefore called on presidential candidates and party leaders to ensure that the provisions of the accord are communicated to state party structures, local government executives, ward canvassers and grassroots supporters.
Amupitan specifically warned against political incitement, the deployment of private armed groups and the spread of digital disinformation, noting that such activities could undermine the electoral process even before Election Day.
He further assured Nigerians that INEC was taking steps to improve the transparency of the 2027 elections, including additional measures in the management of election results.
According to him, the commission remains committed to ensuring that the votes cast by Nigerians are accurately reflected in the final electoral outcome.
Peace Committee: 30 Accords Facilitated Since 2015
Earlier, the Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), former Head of State, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, represented by General Martin Luther Agwai, said the committee had facilitated 30 peace accords since 2015.
Agwai said five of the accords were signed at the national level ahead of the 2015, 2019 and 2023 general elections, while 25 were facilitated at the sub-national level, including states that conducted off-cycle elections.
He disclosed that the committee had also established independent state-based peace structures in 23 states to complement its national peace-building efforts.
According to him, the issue-based campaign component of the accord was introduced in 2019 to encourage political parties and candidates to campaign on ideas, policies and programmes instead of sentiments and personal attacks.
He urged political actors to compete fairly, respect opposing views, mobilise supporters peacefully, protect voters and uphold the authority of electoral institutions.
The NPC also cautioned against hate speech, misinformation, incitement and other narratives capable of triggering intimidation and electoral violence.
Police Pledge Professionalism
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Umar Shehu Nadada assured political parties and Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force would remain professional and impartial throughout the electoral process.
He said the police would collaborate with INEC, the military, intelligence agencies and other security and law-enforcement bodies to provide a secure environment for campaigns and the conduct of peaceful and credible elections.
Nadada, however, stressed that security agencies could not guarantee peaceful elections without the cooperation of political actors.
“You cannot publicly preach peace while actively encouraging violence. You cannot call for a credible election whilst simultaneously undermining the institutions responsible for conducting them,” he warned.
He also appealed to political leaders to stop recruiting or mobilising young Nigerians for political violence, urging them instead to make the youth partners in democratic development.
With campaigns officially commencing on August 19, the signing of the First National Peace Accord signals the beginning of a critical phase in preparations for the 2027 General Election, placing renewed responsibility on political parties, candidates, supporters, security agencies and electoral institutions to protect the peace and credibility of the democratic process.
