- The Bishop said that the National Peace Committee can’t force candidates to sign.
Matthew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto diocese, has said that a political candidate’s refusal to sign the peace accord conveys a disturbing message to Nigerians.
Speaking in Benin City on Sunday at the Edo Election Security Town Hall, Kukah stated that the National Peace Committee (NPC) lacks the authority to coerce candidates into signing the peace pact.
The NPC was established in 2014 as a response to the escalating tensions preceding the 2015 general elections — under Abubakar’s leadership, the committee has successfully brokered numerous peace agreements among political parties’ candidates.
As the committee’s secretary, Bishop Kukah revealed that President Bola Tinubu declined to sign a peace accord during his presidential campaign.
“I think it’s important to understand, you know, the National Peace Committee, what we do is not in the Electoral Act, it’s not law; it’s moral,” the clergyman said.
Kukah explained that the NPC’s role is not to enforce compliance but to promote a moral obligation, noting that “You can’t compel people to fall in love or love their neighbour., you can’t exhort people to do so.”
He recalled the 2019 elections, where Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, initially failed to sign the Peace Accord.
However, after facing opposition criticism, Atiku signed the accord the following day.
Kukah also pointed out that President Tinubu, as a presidential candidate, did not sign the peace accord, which the opposition failed to capitalize on.
In the case of Edo, Kukah stated that the NPC strives to address concerns and anxieties through collaborative efforts.
Representatives from the IG, INEC, and other stakeholders were present to ensure a peaceful election.
However, Kukah acknowledged that not signing the peace accord has no legal repercussions.
“The only thing it does to you as a candidate is that it sends a wrong signal which can be very easily exploited by the opposition.”
On September 12, various political parties and governorship candidates signed a peace accord in Benin City to promote peaceful elections.
Notably, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declined to sign the accord.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo expressed concerns on September 11 that the ruling party might not sign the peace accord, citing allegations of police bias towards the APC.
Obaseki claimed that 10 PDP members were detained without sufficient evidence, undermining the peace accord’s enforcement.