Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has revealed that President Bola Tinubu did not sign the peace accord as a presidential candidate in 2023. Kukah, a convener of the National Peace Committee led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, disclosed this at the Edo Election Security Townhall in Benin City on Sunday.
Kukah explained that the committee, which operates on a moral rather than legal basis, cannot compel candidates to sign the peace pact, which has become a ritual in recent elections. He emphasized that the absence of candidates from the peace accord signing can send a negative signal that opposition groups might exploit.
Reflecting on past elections, Kukah noted that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP also missed signing the peace accord in 2019 but later participated after criticism. He stated that while the National Peace Committee cannot enforce compliance, the failure to sign can have significant implications for candidates.