Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee (NPC) yesterday corrected a claim by African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has always failed to participate in the peace accord signing process.
Atiku, on Monday, said he refused to attend the recent Peace Accord signing for the presidential candidates in the 2027 elections because the ruling party had always refused to attend.
The former vice president stated this when the Council of the Wise of the Savannah Centre for Democracy, Diplomacy and Development (SCDDD), led by a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, visited him in Abuja as part of its engagement with political stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Peace Accord, organised by the NPC in partnership with the Kukah Centre, is designed to ensure that political parties, candidates and their supporters commit to peaceful campaigns, respect for electoral institutions and issue-based engagement.
However, when asked by LEADERSHIP about the claim made by Atiku, Executive Director of the Kukah Centre and Head of Secretariat, National Peace Committee, Fr. Atta Barkindo, noted that the ruling party and opposition parties have always participated in the peace accord signing exercise.
He said, “Before the 2015 general elections, the Peace Committee had only one peace accord. Both Jonathan and Buhari signed (party in power and opposition). Before the 2019 elections, the Peace Committee established two accords – the first for issue-based campaigns and the second to accept the outcome of the vote.
“Buhari came to sign the first and Atiku was absent. He came to sign later at the Peace Committee secretariat. For the second signing, both Atiku and Buhari came to sign (party in power and opposition).
“Before the 2023 elections, Atiku came to sign the first one, but Tinubu did not come (Tinubu was not in power then, but his party was). For the second signing, both of them came to sign (party in power – not candidate in power and the opposition). Before the 2027 elections, both Atiku and Tinubu did not attend the first signing (party in power and opposition),” he said.
Speaking with the Council of the Wise of the Savannah Centre for Democracy, Diplomacy and Development (SCDDD), Atiku said, “I used to be a signatory to what is this Peace Committee. I started boycotting it last election until our former Head of State, General Abdulsalami, had to plead with me.
“I said, but it is one-sided. It is always the opposition parties that attend. The ruling party is never, never a participatory signatory to this Peace Committee. And if they are not, what is the point of my coming to sign?
“That is why even the last one (held last week), I refused to attend because it is one-sided. This is one challenge I think that we need to correct,” he said.
Among those who signed the Peace Accord were Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), and Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Atiku, however, told the Ariwoola-led council that the responsibility for ensuring peaceful, free and credible elections should not be placed solely on politicians.
He argued that the government and the three arms of government also had important roles to play in the electoral process.
“The issue of peaceful conduct of elections should not be limited to only the political class. Now we have seen that all three arms of government may be complicit,” he said.
“Therefore, I will want to appeal to this noble and respectable body to make sure that there is no selective audience. Because we are not the only players. Not only the politicians are the players. The government is also a player. All the three branches, the legislative, the executive, the judiciary, are all players in a free, fair and credible election.”
Meanwhile, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) backed Atiku over his concerns about the one-sided nature of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
CISLAC said the former vice president’s concerns had raised an important question about the credibility and inclusiveness of the peace process, stressing that every political party, candidate and institution involved in the electoral process must demonstrate equal commitment to the principles of the accord.
