President Bola Tinubu has urged political parties and candidates to avoid exploiting ethnic, religious and other primordial sentiments in the pursuit of political power ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking in Abuja at the signing of the Peace Accord, the President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said political campaigns must strengthen rather than undermine national unity.
Tinubu urged political actors to make the elections a contest of ideas, policies and programmes that can improve the lives of Nigerians and promote 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.
The President also pledged the commitment of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Peace Accord, rejecting violence, hate speech, misinformation and incitement during the campaign period.
“Our party rejects violence, hate speech, the spread of misinformation, including through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, especially via social media”, Tinubu said.
He reminded political parties and their supporters that elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair, stressing that the interest of Nigeria must remain above political differences.
