Adekunle Omo-Aje, the Action Alliance presidential candidate, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and Nigeria’s security agencies to protect the integrity of the 2027 general elections in Abuja, after signing the National Peace Accord alongside other presidential candidates and political party leaders.
The appeal came as political parties formally entered the campaign period for the 2027 elections, with the accord committing political actors to peaceful and issue-based electioneering.
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The National Peace Committee, chaired by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, organised the agreement in partnership with The Kukah Centre.
Omo-Aje said the accord should be more than a ceremonial commitment, arguing that political parties, electoral officials and security institutions must translate its principles into conduct throughout the electoral cycle.
“INEC must resist pressure and ensure that the votes of Nigerians count. The Commission should provide a level playing field for all parties, big or small,” Omo-Aje said.
The Action Alliance candidate also called on security agencies to maintain professionalism and political neutrality before, during and after the elections.
“Our security agencies must protect lives and property before, during, and after the elections. They must not be used to intimidate voters or favour any political party. Professionalism is key to credible elections,” he said.
The comments come at a significant point in Nigeria’s electoral calendar.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has set the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, with governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6.
INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan has previously said the success of the 2027 elections would be a shared responsibility involving political parties, security agencies, the media, civil society organisations and citizens.
The commission has also said it is determined to deliver elections that are peaceful, inclusive and reflective of voters’ choices.
The peace accord was signed at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, one day before the commencement of campaigns.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was represented at the ceremony by Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, while APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda signed for the ruling party.
Other presidential candidates and party representatives also endorsed the agreement, including Peter Obi, Adewole Adebayo and Omoyele Sowore.
Some prominent political figures, including Atiku Abubakar, were absent from the signing ceremony.
The agreement commits political actors to peaceful campaigns and discourages violence, hate speech, misinformation, personal attacks and other conduct capable of undermining the electoral process.
For Omo-Aje, the credibility of the 2027 contest will ultimately depend on whether institutions can withstand political pressure and whether competing parties accept the outcome of a genuinely competitive process.
He urged politicians to concentrate their campaigns on issues affecting Nigerians rather than rhetoric capable of deepening ethnic, religious or political divisions.
The call is particularly relevant as campaigns begin across the country and political parties prepare to take their messages to voters in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Nigeria’s recent electoral history has repeatedly placed questions of institutional independence, security conduct and public confidence at the centre of political debate.
The peace accord therefore offers an opportunity for candidates to publicly commit themselves to restraint before competition intensifies.
The coming months will test whether those commitments survive the pressure of an increasingly competitive political environment.
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For Omo-Aje, the measure of the agreement will not be the signatures gathered in Abuja, but whether Nigerians can ultimately vote without fear and have their choices respected.
