What is peace accord and why do presidential candidates sign it before election? A Neusroom Explainer
On Thursday, February 22, 2023, the 18 presidential candidates contesting Nigeria’s 2023 election signed the Peace Accord in Abuja ahead of the general elections scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2023.
In Nigeria’s political context, the Peace Accord is a formal agreement signed by political candidates and parties committing to peaceful and non-violent conduct before, during, and after an election.
Nigeria has witnessed pre and post-election violence in the past, resulting in the loss of lives and property. In a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like Nigeria, violence can be instigated through the actions or utterances of political candidates. In 2011, seven NYSC Corps members serving in Bauchi State lost their lives in post-election violence after 12 Northern states were thrown into chaos for three days following the declaration of Goodluck Jonathan as the winner of the presidential election.
The violence was triggered by a belief by Muhammadu Buhari’s supporters that he should have won the election. The Human Rights Watch claimed that 800 people were killed and over 65,000 people were displaced. after the 2011 post-election violence.
Dr. Robert Ekat, a political analyst, told Neusroom that while “Peace Accord refers to an agreement reached by erstwhile combatants or parties in disputes to cease hostilities, the choice of this phrase in Nigeria’s electioneering peacemaking is not surprising because politicians in the country see elections as war and their opponents as entities that should be annihilated.”
Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the flagbearer of the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), are among the political candidates who have signed the Peace Accord, thus committing to peaceful elections.
However, many Nigerians believe that the signing of the Peace Accord has not discouraged politicians from engaging in bitter and violent inciting politics.
National Peace Committee (NPC), the non-governmental organisation overseeing the Peace Accord, was established in 2014 to ensure peaceful, free, and credible elections in Nigeria, in response to threats that surrounded the 2015 general elections.
NPC was conceptualised and mandated to contribute towards a smooth and peaceful conduct of the 2015 elections, as their were concerns that the election will not hold. Some of the members of the NPC include; former military Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, Fomer Justice of the Supreme Court Rose Ukeje, Aliko Dangote, and Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While Peace Accord is seen as a way of promoting a peaceful and transparent election process, which is essential for upholding the democratic principles of the country, candidates are not mandated by law to sign the Peace Accord.
Ekat said that the Peace Accord can have an effect on supporters when they see their preferred candidates shake hands with opponents, which may make them desist from engaging in political violence.
On February 23, 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari, whose loss in 2011 triggered violence that killed 800 people, restated his commitment to peaceful, free, and fair elections, and many wondered if the Peace Accord can make the election more credible.
“As to whether peace accords add credibility to an election, it is pertinent to state that the aim of the peace accord is not necessarily to add credibility to an election. Rather, it aims to save lives. While many pundits consider it as mere symbolism, it is important considering the belligerents we have in politics in the country,” Ekat said.
