Candidates Sign Peace Pact For 2023 As Tinubu Absent

Presidential candidates of various political parties in the Nigeria’s 2023 general election on Thursday in Abuja, signed a peace accord as campaigns officially begins.

Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu was absent. However, his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, represented him at the signing alongside other candidates, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Omoyele Sowore of  African Action Congress party, among others.

According to the INEC  list, there are 18 political party candidates contesting for the number position in the country scheduled for February next year.

While speaking on the importance of the peace accord, chairman of the National Peace Committee and former military head of state, Abdusalami Abubakar, appealed to the 18 political parties, their presidential candidates, and spokespersons to be committed to issue-based campaigns. He urged them to shun the spread of fake news and misinformation which according to him is already hitting up the polity and is capable of threatening the peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elections.

Some members of the National Peace Committee present at the event include the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Cardinal John Onayeikan, Aliko Dangote, John Momoh, INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, among others.

Abubakar had last week while receiving the APC national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu who paid him a condolence visit in Abuja, hinted that the peace accord will be done in phases- one at the beginning of the campaigns, which was done today, and the second one will be done one month before the presidential election and the third and final one will be to promise that they will not resort to violence after the election but go to court if anyone is not satisfied with the outcome.