2027: Obi urges issue-based campaigns, signs National Peace Accord

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, on Tuesday called for peaceful and issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election, urging political candidates to conduct themselves in a manner befitting the offices they seek.

Obi spoke with journalists on the sidelines of the National Peace Accord signing ceremony organised by the National Peace Committee in Abuja.

The ceremony, which began at about 3:02pm, was chaired by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Asked whether he still had faith in the peace accord amid reports of violence during the recent Osun governorship election, Obi said his continued participation was part of his effort to reform the political process from within.

“Because I want to change the process, I have to go through it, so I have to believe in it,” he said.

Obi said candidates should not need a peace accord to remind them of the standards expected of people seeking public office, arguing that their personal conduct should reflect the positions they aspire to occupy.

“They wouldn’t even need to sign this. We’re seeking an office where we should be exemplary. You can’t answer ‘His Excellency’ without being an excellent person.

“So the process that will make you answer to ‘Excellency’ should be excellent, and the only way to do it is to conduct yourself properly,” he said.