Presidential candidates of 18 political parties converged at the International Conference Centre in the nation's capital on 22nd February 2023, to sign a pact towards a peaceful election come 25th February 2023. Among the presidential candidates present were Bola Tinubu (APC); Peter Obi (LP), Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Rabiu Kwankwaso (NNPP), and Dan Nwanyanwu (ZLP). The peace pact is the second in the last five months, was organized and coordinated by the National Accord for Peace under the chairmanship of a former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar.
The pact is to ensure “the conduct of free, fair, credible, transparent and verifiable elections cognisant of the need to maintain a peaceful environment before, during and after the 2023 general elections” and “to place national interest above personal and partisan concerns”.
The pact entails that all political parties accept the outcome of the elections or seek legitimate means of redress in the event of divergent positions.
Mr. Abubakar, a retired army General, stressed at the pact signing the need for all parties to stay committed to the second peace accord, as he observed that some of them flouted the first peace accord signed on 29 September 2022.
“There was a lack of compliance by the major political parties. “Forty-four percent of the violations were carried out by spokespersons of the political parties and 26 percent by party members. “Nineteen percent of the violations were carried out by the presidential candidates themselves; 11 percent by hard-core supporters and 4 percent by party chairmen. “Additionally, in January 2023, a lot of violence has occurred with at least 15 abductions (including that of a police officer) and at least, 30 killings (including those of 11 security personnel),’’ he said.
