African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has criticised President Bola Tinubu for not personally attending the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sowore said Tinubu’s absence suggested that the President did not consider the peace pact a serious matter.
He made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, hours after several political leaders and presidential candidates signed the accord in Abuja on Tuesday.
Tinubu was represented at the ceremony by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. Other political figures, including Peter Obi, Sowore and Donald Duke, personally signed the agreement organised by the National Peace Committee.
Sowore argued that Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, should have personally attended the ceremony to demonstrate his commitment to preventing electoral violence.
“So, if he is not there, it shows that this is not a serious affair,” Sowore said.
According to the AAC candidate, the President’s physical presence would have given the agreement greater moral weight and demonstrated that the government was genuinely committed to its principles.
He argued that if Tinubu was serious about preventing violence, the commitment should begin with the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief.
“If you are serious with non-violence, it should start with the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. It will give moral support to whatever was being done yesterday,” he said.
Sowore, who attended the ceremony and signed the accord himself, said his participation was intended to demonstrate his personal commitment to free, fair and credible elections.
“I showed up there just so that I can give my own reinforcement of belief that, symbolically, I believe in free and fair election,” he said.
However, he maintained that signing the accord should not be treated as merely symbolic.
He called for concrete measures to prevent electoral violence and ensure that political actors who violate the agreement are held accountable.
What the 2027 Peace Accord Seeks to Achieve
The National Peace Accord was signed on Tuesday by several presidential candidates and political leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The agreement is intended to promote peaceful political engagement and issue-based campaigns before, during and after the elections.
Peter Obi, who also signed the accord, called for credible and violence-free elections and urged Nigerians not to support candidates who violate the commitments contained in the agreement.
Representing Tinubu, Akume reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the accord and rejected electoral violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement through social media.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, also pledged the commission’s neutrality and commitment to conducting credible elections.
Amupitan urged political parties and candidates to turn the 2027 campaign into a “marketplace of ideas”, with emphasis on practical solutions rather than insults, character attacks and conflict.
A member of the National Peace Committee and Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, also urged politicians to ensure that elections ultimately translate into measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
The first phase of the Peace Accord was signed one day before the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
Source: Channels Television
