By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
President Bola Tinubu has urged political parties and candidates contesting the 2027 general elections to shun violence, hate speech and divisive rhetoric, stressing that the election must not be treated as a “do-or-die affair.”
Tinubu spoke on Tuesday, 18 August, 2026 at the signing of the National Peace Accord for the 2027 elections in Abuja. Represented by SGF George Akume, he commended the National Peace Committee for promoting peaceful and issue-based campaigns.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s elections had historically generated anxiety due to intense competition for political power but noted that technological innovations by INEC had improved electoral transparency.
“Since 1999, when our country returned to democratic governance under the stewardship of General Abdulsalami Abubakar and his team, every election period has brought its share of anxiety because of the nature of our politics and the intense competition for power by political actors,” he said.
Tinubu urged candidates to campaign on policies rather than ethnic or religious sentiments.
“It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing missions 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 and primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power,” he said.
“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.
He pledged the APC’s commitment to the Peace Accord, saying, “Our party rejects violence, hate speech, the spread of misinformation, including through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, especially via social media.”
Tinubu concluded, “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.”
