President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged political parties and candidates contesting the 2027 general elections to place the interest of Nigeria above personal and partisan ambitions, declaring that the election must not be treated as a “do-or-die affair.”
Tinubu spoke on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 elections. He was represented at the ceremony in Abuja by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
The President said political disagreements and competing visions were normal features of democracy, but warned politicians against allowing their campaigns to undermine national unity.
He specifically cautioned political actors against exploiting ethnic, religious and other primordial sentiments as instruments for pursuing political power.
Tinubu said:
> “We may exchange occasional political jabs. But as members of the same household, the same national family, we must never resort to divisive or primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power.”
‘Let us campaign on superior ideas’
The President called on political parties to make the 2027 election a contest of ideas, policies and programmes capable of improving the welfare of Nigerians.
“Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people and accelerate Nigeria’s journey from a developing nation to a first-world country,” he said.
Tinubu also reaffirmed his commitment and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peace Accord, stressing that the ruling party would reject electoral violence, hate speech, misinformation, AI-generated misinformation and incitement, particularly on social media.
‘Win or lose, Nigeria must be the ultimate winner’
One of the strongest messages in the President’s address was his rejection of the idea that elections should be treated as a battle in which victory must be secured at all costs.
Tinubu declared:
> “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.”
He also commended the National Peace Committee, including former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, for sustaining the peace initiative since 2014.
The President further pointed to technological improvements in Nigeria’s electoral system, particularly the BVAS, arguing that recent off-cycle elections demonstrated improvements in transparency and that when electoral processes and outcomes are credible, post-election disputes are reduced.
The Peace Accord was signed ahead of the commencement of campaigns for the January and February 2027 elections, with presidential candidates and political actors committing themselves to peaceful, issue-based campaigns and respect for Nigeria’s democratic process.
