The Social Democratic Party presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for not attending the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adebayo said the President’s absence from Tuesday’s ceremony in Abuja could send the wrong message to political actors and security agencies about the Federal Government’s commitment to peaceful elections.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television, the SDP candidate argued that Tinubu should have personally attended the event or publicly explained why he was unable to be there.
According to Adebayo, the President’s physical presence would have demonstrated that the administration considers peace and credible elections a national priority.
He questioned why Tinubu was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, when the President or Vice-President could have attended the ceremony.
Adebayo described the decision as disappointing, arguing that the signing of the accord was an important opportunity for political leaders to publicly reaffirm their commitment to democracy and peaceful elections.
He also recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari attended a similar peace accord ceremony during the previous election cycle despite not being a presidential candidate at the time.
The SDP candidate stressed that Nigeria’s stability depends heavily on credible elections, saying political leaders must demonstrate through their actions that they are committed to preserving the democratic process.
The National Peace Accord was organised by the National Peace Committee and signed by several presidential candidates and representatives of political parties participating in the 2027 elections.
Among those present were Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore and Donald Duke, alongside other political stakeholders.
Obi used the occasion to call for an election in which Nigerians’ votes would genuinely count, while urging political actors to avoid violence and respect the commitments contained in the accord.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, also called on politicians to focus on issues and policies rather than turning the election into a contest dominated by insults and inflammatory rhetoric.
INEC said preparations for the 2027 elections were ongoing, with plans to deploy about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units.
The peace accord is intended to encourage candidates and political parties to conduct peaceful, issue-based campaigns before, during and after the 2027 elections.
