ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the 2027 National Peace Accord, saying his failure to attend the signing ceremony suggested that the agreement was not being treated seriously.
Sowore spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, a day after several presidential candidates and political leaders signed the accord in Abuja.
The agreement, facilitated by the National Peace Committee, is aimed at promoting peaceful political campaigns and preventing violence before, during and after the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu was represented at the ceremony by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, while opposition figures including Peter Obi, Sowore and Donald Duke personally attended and endorsed the pact.
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But Sowore argued that the President should have been physically present, given his constitutional position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the role of security agencies in managing election-related violence.
According to him, the President’s absence weakened the moral authority of the agreement and raised questions about the seriousness of the Federal Government’s commitment to its implementation.
“I told them that whatever they signed there was null and void because they are not parties to the election,” Sowore said.
He argued that the President remained the most influential figure when it came to the use of state security machinery during elections.
Sowore said Tinubu’s personal participation would have sent a stronger message to political actors and demonstrated that the government was prepared to uphold the principles contained in the peace agreement.
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He added that a genuine commitment to non-violence should begin with the country’s highest political authority.
The AAC candidate, however, explained that he attended the ceremony and signed the accord because he wanted to personally demonstrate his commitment to a free, fair and peaceful electoral process.
Sowore said his participation was symbolic but insisted that the accord must not end as a mere ceremonial exercise.
He called for mechanisms that would hold politicians and other actors accountable when they violate the terms of the agreement, particularly where such violations contribute to electoral violence.
The first phase of the 2027 Peace Accord was signed ahead of the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
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Peter Obi, who also signed the document, called on Nigerians to reject politicians who promote violence and urged stakeholders to work towards credible and peaceful elections.
Representing Tinubu, Akume reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the agreement and condemned electoral violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement on social media.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, also assured political parties and Nigerians of the commission’s neutrality.
Amupitan urged politicians to make the 2027 election campaign a contest of ideas and practical solutions rather than personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric.