The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s absence from the signing of the National Peace Accord by presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adebayo said the President’s failure to attend the ceremony in Abuja sent the wrong signal about the government’s commitment to peaceful and credible elections.
Speaking on Channels Television, the SDP candidate said Tinubu’s absence could create doubts among political actors and security agencies about the seriousness of the administration’s commitment to maintaining peace throughout the electoral process.
“President Tinubu not showing up today, he is showing that he is not committed to peace. He is sending a wrong signal to law enforcement, for the people who work for the government, that the President looks like he is not committed enough,” Adebayo said.
He challenged the President to publicly explain his absence and reaffirm his commitment to the peace process.
According to Adebayo, no other national responsibility should take precedence over the President’s visible commitment to protecting democracy and ensuring a peaceful transfer or continuation of legitimate civilian government.
“There is no issue of state grandeur than the President showing that democracy is important. There is no more national security than the continuity of the state,” he said.
Adebayo stressed that credible elections remained fundamental to the survival of democratic government, arguing that the peace accord provided an important opportunity for political leaders to demonstrate their commitment to non-violence and democratic principles.
He also questioned the decision to send the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to represent the President at the ceremony.
“This is an insult to the process. The SGF is not involved in the election. You have your Vice President who could come,” he said.
The SDP candidate further recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari attended a previous peace accord signing despite not being a presidential candidate at the time, arguing that the presence of the nation’s leader sends an important message to political parties and security agencies.
He maintained that Tinubu, as President and a central figure in the 2027 political contest, should demonstrate personal commitment to peaceful elections rather than leave the responsibility entirely to representatives.
Presidential candidates and representatives of political parties at the ceremony signed the National Peace Accord organised by the National Peace Committee, committing themselves to peaceful conduct and issue-based campaigns before, during and after the 2027 elections.
Among those present were Labour Party figure Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore and Donald Duke, alongside INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, and other stakeholders.
Amupitan reaffirmed the electoral commission’s neutrality and described the election as a “marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war,” as preparations intensify for the 2027 polls.
He said INEC was preparing to deploy about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
For Adebayo, however, the credibility of the electoral process will depend not only on INEC’s preparations but also on the conduct and example set by political leaders, particularly those occupying positions of power.