Three days before the general elections, the former Head of State and President of the National Committee for Peace Abdulsalami Abubakar, on this occasion, reminded the candidates and the parties of their duty, insisting on the deterioration of the electoral climate during the countryside.
As part of the electoral system, the political parties and their presidential candidates signed a second national peace agreement on Wednesday, in which they committed not only to guaranteeing peaceful elections but also to accepting the outcome.
Leading presidential candidates Bola Tinubu of the APC, Peter Obi of the Labor Party, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP signed the peace pact at the Abuja International Conference Centre.
The event, which was the second in the series, was organized in Abuja by the National Peace Committee, led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, retired. Muhammadu Buhari was present for one of his last public appearances as the country’s incumbent president.
The call to order of the ex-president insisted at length on the deterioration of the electoral climate during the campaign. He particularly regrets that the main parties flouted the first peace agreements signed in September. He notably pointed to the violations committed: 44% by political party spokespersons, 26% by party members, and 19% by the presidential candidates themselves.
These violations are very often hate speech or intimidation and veiled threats. Abdulsami Abubakar then deplored the violence committed in January, with at least 15 kidnappings, at least 30 murders, and at least six attacks during political campaign rallies.
Finally, he encouraged the political parties to respect the fact that only the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) has the constitutional authority to announce the results.