Nigerian presidential candidates signed a deal Thursday pledging a peaceful campaign for the 2023 elections.
Almost all 18 presidential candidates signed the pact at an event in Abuja, the nation’s capital, where authorities also presented plans to ensure smooth elections. Similar peace deals have been reached in every general election cycle since 2015.
Some form of violence usually accompanies general elections in Nigeria. At least 58 people died in election-related incidents in 2019, according to a coalition of civil society groups.
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Former Nigerian head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar, who heads the National Peace Committee, said that the pre-election agreements have nevertheless “contributed significantly to mitigating the violent conflicts of these elections”.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will step down from office in May after completing his second term and has promised a peaceful vote to elect his successor.
But next year’s elections have been described as “a battle for the soul” of Nigeria, coming at a time when the country faces various economic and security challenges that have led to the loss of life and made life more. difficult for many.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari speaks at the UN General Assembly on September 21, 2022 at the UN headquarters in New York.
(AP Photo / Julia Nikhinson)
Nigeria’s economy, security, and governance have emerged as major talking points in the countryside.
Abubakar identified fake news and disinformation as one of the “issues of greatest concern” ahead of the 2023 elections, saying the spread of fake news has “shifted focus away from problem-based campaigns and created the platform for political parties that translate into name-calling … and murder of the character “.
The peace agreement signed on Thursday aims to “engage all political parties, presidential candidates and their spokespersons in peaceful political campaigns and rallies free of violence, incitement and personal insults, but also to be defined by issues at the center national development and progress, “he said.
Mahmood Yakubu, president of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the electoral agreement is important “considering the link between a peaceful campaign on the one hand and peaceful and credible elections on the other”.
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Nigerian police chief Usman Baba said the law enforcement agency will work with electoral and government officials to ensure a peaceful political campaign. He has also banned personnel from various subnational security groups – many of which operate at the state and municipal level – from election-related activities.
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission estimates that at least 90 million voters will participate in the elections.
