Ahead 2027 polls: Tinubu pledges peaceful campaign, says elections not a “do-or-die affair”

Warns political stakeholders against violence, hate speech, misinformation, artificial intelligence-generated content

.INEC seeks peaceful election campaigns, says campaign should be marketplace of ideas, not theatre of war

President Bola Tinubu has pledged his commitment and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to peaceful, transparent and issue-based campaigns.

Tinubu also warned political stakeholders against violence, hate speech, misinformation and artificial intelligence-generated content during the 2027 electioneering.

The President spoke on Tuesday in Abuja while signing the National Peace Accord alongside political parties and candidates ahead of the presidential election.

Represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, Tinubu urged all political actors to embrace the accord.

He stressed that elections should not become a “do-or-die affair”, urging stakeholders to prioritise Nigeria’s interests above personal ambitions.

 “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,” the President said.

Tinubu urged political actors to reject ethnic and religious sentiments, saying campaigns should focus on competing ideas, policies and development programmes.

 “Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people,” he said.

He said such an approach would accelerate Nigeria’s journey from a developing nation toward becoming a first-world country.

The President commended the National Peace Committee (NPC) for its sustained efforts toward peaceful elections since 2014.

He specifically recognised former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.

Tinubu said Nigeria’s electoral process had recorded significant improvements since the return to democratic governance in 1999.

He attributed some progress to technological innovations introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The President said Permanent Voter Cards and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System had helped curb electoral manipulation and malpractice.

He listed ballot stuffing and snatching at polling units among practices that the innovations had helped to reduce.

 “These improvements have restored power to the voters, who are now sure that their vote will count,” Tinubu said.

He added that politicians were now more accountable because voters had greater confidence that their votes would count.Tinubu noted that Nigeria conducted three off-cycle elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun between October 2025 and August 2026.

According to him, different political parties emerged victorious in the three elections, demonstrating the competitiveness of Nigeria’s electoral process.

He said local and international observers described the elections as free, credible and transparent.

Tinubu added that transparent electoral processes could help reduce post-election litigation and strengthen confidence in democratic institutions.

He described the Peace Accord’s signing as a solemn commitment by political leaders to place national interest above partisan and personal ambitions.

 “I call on all Nigerians, civil society organisations, our foreign partners, and the media to join us,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to deepen and build a stronger, more vibrant democratic society through collective commitment to peaceful political participation.

According to him, democracy goes beyond periodic elections, but requiring citizens to participate actively in national affairs and promote good governance.

He also urged Nigerians to build trust in public institutions while encouraging political actors to preserve the country’s social cohesion.

The President warned against using social media to spread incitement, misinformation, hate speech or manipulated artificial intelligence-generated materials.

He urged political parties and candidates to ensure their campaigns strengthened rather than undermined Nigeria’s social fabric.

Tinubu said the ultimate objective of the electoral process should remain the emergence of a peaceful, united and prosperous Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has urged political actors to embrace peaceful campaigns.

Amupitan made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during the signing of the Peace Accord by candidates contesting the 2027 general elections.

The accord involved presidential, governorship and National Assembly candidates ahead of public campaigns and rallies scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

He urged candidates and political parties to make their campaigns “a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war”.

Amupitan said Nigerians and the international community expected “a process that is credible and a campaign that respects their intelligence”.

He urged political parties to conduct issue-based campaigns in accordance with the Constitution, Electoral Act, party constitutions and published manifestos.

The INEC chairman said the 2027 elections required rigorous intellectual debates focusing on Nigeria’s economic, security and developmental challenges.

 “Nigerians do not want insults; they want solutions,” Amupitan said, stressing the need for clear and measurable policy proposals.

He said voters wanted to know how political parties intended to drive economic growth, strengthen national security and expand infrastructure.

He also urged candidates to explain their plans for improving healthcare, modernising education and promoting teacher inclusion.

Amupitan particularly challenged presidential candidates and party leaders to lead by example by promoting policy solutions and respecting the rule of law.

He said: “Your supporters look to you for cues. If you speak the language of peace, they will act with peace.

 “If you incite them, they will ignite. Tell the voters what you will do for the economy, security and education.”

He urged politicians to explain how they intended to achieve their proposed policies, reiterating his appeal for peaceful and issue-based campaigns.

 “Let the 2027 campaign be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war,” the INEC chairman said.

Amupitan also warned against digital misinformation, fake news, premature declarations of results and foreign information manipulation capable of triggering public panic.

He urged parties to restrain their digital media teams and spokespersons from weaponising falsehoods during the electioneering period.

According to him, recent data indicates an alarming resurgence of hate speech, toxic polarisation and coordinated misinformation.

He also expressed concern over personally driven political discourse and the increasing shift away from substantive policy engagement.

 “As preparations for the 2027 general election intensify, we are witnessing a disturbing shift from policy-driven engagement,” he said.

He identified character assassination, identity-based provocation and inflammatory rhetoric as growing threats to peaceful political engagement.

 “If left unchecked, this trend threatens to poison the public square, erode civil trust and ignite avoidable conflict across our societies,” he warned.

Amupitan urged political parties and candidates to internalise every provision of the signed accord and uphold its commitments throughout the electoral process.

He said doing so would help make the 2027 elections “a shining example of African democracy”.

The INEC chairman also stressed the importance of neutrality by state institutions, describing it as the bedrock of credible elections.

Reaffirming INEC’s neutrality, Amupitan declared: “INEC has no interest in who wins or loses any election.”

He said the commission was solely committed to ensuring a lawful, transparent, credible and inclusive electoral process.

Amupitan said INEC had spent the past eight months refining its technologies, improving logistics and training personnel ahead of the elections.

He added that the preparations were informed by operational lessons learnt from recent off-cycle elections conducted across the country.

He said: “As an electoral umpire, I make an unwavering commitment to you and the people of Nigeria.

 “Our responsibility is to ensure the ballot is protected and the will of the voters is reflected in the final results.”

Amupitan, however, acknowledged that INEC could not deliver a perfect election without the cooperation of other stakeholders.

 “INEC cannot deliver a perfect election alone. An election is a multi-stakeholder venture.

 “We provide the pitch and the referee, but the quality of the game depends on the players,” the chairman said.

Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, cautioned politicians against inflammatory rhetoric, hate speech and disinformation.

Disu also warned against deliberately manipulating ethnic or religious sentiments for political advantage during the 2027 electoral process.

“A political campaign should be a contest of ideas, policies, programmes and competing visions for the future of our country.

 “It should not be a contest of hatred, intimidation, ethnic mobilisation or violence,” the I-G said.

Disu, represented by Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Umar Shehu, warned against deploying political thugs.

He said armed groups and criminal elements must not be used to intimidate opponents or disrupt electoral activities.

The I-G warned that acquiring, distributing or illegally using firearms and weapons for political purposes would be treated as a major security threat.

He urged politicians and their supporters to recognise that Nigeria’s interests remained greater than electoral contests.

 “While elections are contested for political leadership, Nigeria itself must remain greater than any election, political party or individual ambition.

 “Political power is temporary, but Nigeria is permanent,” he added, warning against sacrificing lives for political victories.

 “No political victory is worth the loss of any Nigerian life, no political ambition is worth the destruction of our communities,” Disu said.

He further warned that no election was worth compromising Nigeria’s peace and national unity.

The I-G reaffirmed the police commitment to providing a peaceful, credible and inclusive environment for the 2027 general elections.

He pledged that the police would remain professional, impartial and strictly guided by the rule of law.

Disu also promised closer collaboration between the police, INEC, military, intelligence agencies and other law enforcement bodies.

He said the collaboration would focus on safeguarding the electoral process and protecting Nigerians throughout the election period.