Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The National Peace Committee has issued a stern warning to President Bola Tinubu, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and other political actors against inflammatory and inciting campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, raising the alarm over 60 election-related incidents recorded across Nigeria within one month. The committee, chaired by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar and convened by Bishop Matthew Kukah, said the incidents included political violence, intimidation, threats, attacks on political activities and misinformation, many of which ran contrary to the commitments made under the National Peace Accord signed by political parties and candidates in August.
In a statement jointly signed by Abubakar and Kukah on Monday, the committee addressed political parties, candidates and their supporters directly. "Immediately stop false, inflammatory or inciting communication. Uphold the commitments of the Accord, verify information before publication, and actively prevent supporters from engaging in unlawful conduct, intimidation, or disruption," the statement read. The committee emphasised that as the 2027 electoral cycle progresses, its message remained clear. "Every candidate must be able to campaign peacefully; every political party must be able to organise lawfully; and every citizen must be able to make a political choice without intimidation or coercion," it added.
The committee's Election Security Information Hub monitored political conduct and developments between August 19 and September 19, 2026, recording the 60 incidents. Misinformation and disinformation constituted the largest category, accounting for 24 incidents, or 40 per cent of the total. Attacks and disruptions affecting political activities and assets followed with 13 incidents, representing 21.7 per cent, while political intimidation and threats, including incidents involving security personnel, accounted for 10 cases, or 16.7 per cent. Political violence and thuggery accounted for six incidents, representing 10 per cent, while inflammatory statements made up four cases, or 6.7 per cent. The committee also recorded one incident each involving restrictions on freedom of expression, intra-party conflicts and voter inducement. "The figures showed deviations from peaceful and issue-based campaigns by political actors and their supporters," the NPC said, warning that such developments could restrict political participation, erode public confidence in the electoral system and escalate tensions as political competition intensifies.
The warning came barely six weeks after political parties and presidential candidates signed the first National Peace Accord for the 2027 electoral cycle on August 18, 2026, at the International Conference Centre in Abuja. The accord committed signatories to issue-based campaigns and to shun violence, hate speech, misinformation, personal attacks and other conduct capable of undermining the electoral process. President Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, was among those who signed. He urged political parties and candidates to place national interest above personal and partisan ambitions, warning that the struggle for political power must not become a do-or-die affair. The Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the Social Democratic Party candidate, Adewole Adebayo, the African Action Congress candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, were also present. However, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the flagbearer of the Allied Peoples Movement, were absent from the ceremony.
The peace committee's statement also directed specific demands at INEC and security agencies. "To INEC, strengthen monitoring of political campaigns and ensure compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and applicable regulations governing political parties and campaign conduct. Where breaches are identified, the commission should take appropriate regulatory action within its mandate and promptly refer suspected criminal violations to the relevant law-enforcement agencies," the committee said. It called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to "intensify prompt, impartial, and evidence-driven investigations into electoral offences and political violence". The committee reminded all signatories that the National Peace Accord was a solemn public commitment, not a ceremonial declaration, signalling a determination to move beyond moral suasion toward accountability.
The incidents documented by the committee reflect a broader pattern of political violence and intimidation that has intensified since campaigns formally began. The African Democratic Congress has raised alarm over attacks on opposition supporters across at least nine states between July 2025 and September 2026, including the killing of a party member in Rivers State, attacks on the ADC secretariat in Benin City, and the disruption of an opposition gathering in Enugu. The Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had his convoy blocked on the Makurdi–Gboko highway in September, an incident the NDC blamed on the APC. In Delta State, suspected thugs disrupted a rally involving Obi's supporters. In Borno State, five men were arrested and charged over T-shirts bearing the inscription "Tinubu Must Go," a case that drew condemnation from Amnesty International and opposition parties.
The political context in which the committee issued its warning is significant. The 2027 general elections are scheduled for January 16, with the governorship and state assembly elections following on February 6. President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC platform, while Atiku is contesting on the ADC ticket, Obi is flying the flag of the NDC, and Makinde is running on the APM platform. The committee's decision to name Tinubu, Atiku and Obi directly underscores the stakes involved and the extent to which the conduct of the leading candidates will shape the broader political environment. With less than four months to the first ballot, the warning from the Abdulsalami panel represents a final opportunity for political actors to demonstrate that the Peace Accord they signed is more than a ritual. As the committee put it, every candidate must be able to campaign peacefully, and every citizen must be able to make a political choice without intimidation or coercion.
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