2027 Elections: Presidential Candidates Sign Peace Accord as Campaigns Begin
By Cynthia Okere, Lagos
Nigeria has entered a crucial phase in preparations for the 2027 general elections as the official campaign period for presidential and National Assembly elections begins on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The commencement of campaigns follows the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Attention is also on efforts by the National Peace Committee (NPC) to secure commitments from political parties and candidates to peaceful, issue-based campaigns as political activities intensify across the country.
The peace initiative is aimed at reducing electoral violence, inflammatory rhetoric, hate speech and other conduct capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
The National Peace Committee, chaired by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has been working with INEC and other stakeholders ahead of the elections.
At a stakeholder engagement earlier in the year, the committee presented an updated Peace Accord framework designed to strengthen dialogue, accountability and peaceful conduct among political actors.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, had also sought the support of the committee in rebuilding public confidence and safeguarding the credibility of the 2027 elections.
The commission said cooperation among political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders would be important in ensuring peaceful participation in the electoral process.
The Peace Accord initiative has become an important feature of Nigeria’s elections since the 2015 general election. It provides a platform for political actors to publicly commit to non-violence, respect for the rule of law and peaceful resolution of electoral disputes.
With the campaign window now open, political parties and their presidential candidates are permitted to formally take their messages to voters in accordance with the Electoral Act and INEC’s timetable.
The campaign period is expected to see parties intensify rallies, media engagements, policy debates and grassroots mobilisation across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Political activities had already increased considerably before the official campaign date, with parties holding consultations, meetings and mobilisation programmes across several states.
INEC’s timetable provides that campaigns must end 24 hours before the election.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are expected to hold on February 6, 2027.
Campaigns for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled to commence on September 9, 2026.
As the presidential campaign formally gets underway, the conduct of candidates, political parties and their supporters will be closely watched, particularly their adherence to electoral laws and commitments to peaceful political competition.