Presidential candidates of political parties in the 2023 elections have today in Abuja signed a peace accord with the National Peace Committee as campaigns officially kick off on Wednesday. Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, was, however, conspicuously missing at the highly symbolic ceremony set to signpost the preferred direction for next year’s power transition.

The event which held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja featured Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Kwankaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) among others. 

Mr Tinubu, who was absent for an undisclosed reason, was represented by the APC vice presidential candidate Kashim Shettima. 

First introduced in 2015 by the National Peace Committee headed by former military Head of State Abdulsalam Abubakar, and supported by Catholic Bishop Matthew Kukah, the peace accord is now customary with the country’s electoral process. 

The initiative was inspired by the wanton sectarian killings that trailed the 2011 presidential election where incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, running under the defunct CPC, lost to then-President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP. 

No fewer than 800 persons, including serving members of the National Youth Service Corps, were killed in days of rioting across 12 northern states in the aftermath of the April 2011 election.

Since that unfortunate episode, candidates participating in Nigerian elections have been required to pledge their commitment to a peaceful electoral process devoid of hate, violence and malpractice. 

The pact urges all participant in the election to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship while trusting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to play its role.