The Presidency has dismissed claims by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, that President Bola Tinubu did not sign the peace accord before the 2023 presidential election. The statement by Kukah, made during the Edo election security town hall meeting in Benin on Sunday, alleged that Tinubu had snubbed the peace accord.
In response, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Strategy, clarified on Tuesday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle that President Tinubu had indeed signed the two peace accords that preceded the 2023 election.
Onanuga explained that the first peace accord, signed on September 29, 2022, was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima on behalf of Tinubu. This agreement committed the presidential candidates to ensuring a free, fair, and credible election. Onanuga further noted that the second peace accord, signed on February 23, 2023, required the candidates to accept the election results, and Tinubu personally signed this accord.
He reminded the public of the build-up to the February 25 presidential election, during which candidates from various political parties, including Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), gathered at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, to sign the peace pact. While Tinubu was reportedly in the United Kingdom during the first signing, he was present at the signing of the second accord on February 23, 2023.
This clarification from the Presidency seeks to correct any misconceptions surrounding Tinubu’s participation in the peace agreements, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to a credible and peaceful electoral process.