Towards the forthcoming General elecctions, Presidential candidates for the 2023 election gathered on Thursday to sign a peace accord in Abuja.
Some of the presidential candidates at the event include Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, New Nigeria, Peoples Party’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.
All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu was represented by his running mate, Kashim Shettima, and APC’s national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu.
The Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former military head of state, Abdusalami Abubakar, appealed to the 18 political parties, their presidential candidates, and spokespersons to commit to issues-based campaigns, as fake news and misinformation are already creating a toxic environment that is capable of threatening the peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Some members of the National Peace Committee at the program include the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, Bishop Hassan Kukah, John Onayeikan, John Momoh, Aliko Dangote, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, amongst others.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed delight in the initiative undertaken by the National Peace Committee to commit political actors to issue-based campaigns, devoid of incitement, personal insults and attacks.
In a video-message to the signing of the 2023 Election Peace Accord in Abuja by presidential candidates, organised by the National Peace Committee, the President warned that the rise of fake news and misinformation had continued to pose a significant threat to democracy in Nigeria.
The President stressed that fake news and misinformation had shifted focus away from issue-based campaigns to amplifying the potential for personal attacks, insults and incitement, noting that such has significantly diminished the civility and decency in public discourse and debate.
Reiterating his commitment to peaceful, credible, and transparent elections, President Buhari said what the Peace Committee, led by its chairman and a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubukar, had been doing over the years, was in tandem with his belief that Nigeria needed peace to achieve credible elections.