2027: Tinubu warns politicians against ethnic, religious divisions

…commits APC to peaceful, transparent elections, rejects violence, hate speech

…says campaigns must strengthen, not tear Nigeria’s social fabric

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has warned political parties and candidates against exploiting ethnic, religious and other primordial sentiments in their campaigns for the 2027 general elections, insisting that the pursuit of political power must not undermine Nigeria’s unity, thenationonlineng.net reported.

The President also committed himself and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to peaceful and transparent elections, declaring that the party would reject violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement throughout the electioneering period.

Tinubu spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the signing of the Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 presidential election, where he was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the SGF, Yomi Odunuga, the President said political disagreements and competing visions were legitimate features of democracy but must never be allowed to threaten national cohesion.

“In the spirit of the accord we have just signed, we must conduct ourselves in ways that strengthen, not tear, the fabric of our society. It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing visions for our country.

“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”, Tinubu said.

He urged political parties and candidates to make the forthcoming campaigns a contest of ideas, policies and programmes capable of improving Nigerians’ lives and accelerating national development.

“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.

Reaffirming his commitment to the Peace Accord, Tinubu said the APC would abide by its principles and conduct its campaign in a manner that promotes national peace and stability.

“As the campaign season kicks off, I commit myself and my party, the All Progressives Congress, to the tenets of this accord”, the President declared.

He said the ruling party would not tolerate conduct that undermines peaceful elections, including the use of emerging technologies and social media to spread false information or inflame political tensions.

“Our party rejects violence, hate speech, the spread of misinformation, including through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, especially via social media.

“We are committed to peaceful, transparent elections that will strengthen political stability, social harmony, economic progress, and our nation’s prosperity. I encourage other political parties and political actors to do the same”, he said.

Tinubu reminded candidates and their supporters that elections should never become a do-or-die affair, stressing that political opponents remain partners in the collective task of nation-building regardless of their partisan differences.

“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 added.

The President also commended the National Peace Committee (NPC), particularly its Chairman and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; the Sultan of Sokoto; and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, for convening the accord and sustaining efforts towards peaceful elections.

He said Nigeria owed the committee a debt of gratitude for its work since 2014 in promoting peace accords and committing political parties and candidates to non-violent, issue-based campaigns during general and off-cycle elections.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey, Tinubu recalled that the country returned to democratic governance in 1999 under the stewardship of Abubakar and his team, noting that elections had since remained periods of considerable anxiety because of the intensity of competition for political power.

He, however, said the country had recorded significant progress in the transparency and management of elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite the tension and disagreements that sometimes accompany political contests.

The President particularly highlighted INEC’s deployment of technology, including the Permanent Voter’s Card and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which he said had significantly improved the electoral process.

According to him, the innovations have helped curb voting manipulation, ballot stuffing and ballot snatching at polling units while strengthening citizens’ confidence that their votes would count.

He said improvements in the electoral process had also made politicians more accountable to voters and demonstrated Nigerians’ capacity to conduct themselves with maturity and restraint during elections.

Tinubu cited the three off-season governorship elections conducted in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states between October 2025 and August 15, 2026, noting that different political parties emerged victorious.

He said local and international observers described the elections as free, credible, and transparent, adding that improvements in election credibility had contributed to a reduction in post-election litigation.

The President stressed that public confidence in the integrity of electoral processes and their outcomes remained crucial to consolidating Nigeria’s democracy.

He described Tuesday’s signing of the Peace Accord as a solemn undertaking by political leaders to subordinate personal and partisan ambitions to the national interest and work towards a peaceful and transparent electoral process.

Tinubu consequently called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, development partners, and the media to support efforts to deepen the country’s democracy and build a stronger, more vibrant democratic society.

He said democracy must not be viewed merely through periodic elections and the emergence of political office holders but should also be measured by citizens’ participation in national affairs, confidence in public institutions, civic engagement, good governance, justice and equity.

The President expressed confidence that compliance with the Peace Accord by political parties, candidates and their supporters would contribute substantially to peaceful campaigns and credible elections in 2027.

He added that peaceful and transparent polls would strengthen Nigeria’s political stability and social harmony while supporting economic progress and national prosperity.