Bishop Kukah Reveals President Tinubu’s Absence from Peace Accord Signing

In a recent statement, Bishop Matthew Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto and a convenor of the National Peace Committee, has shed light on the absence of President Bola Tinubu from the signing of a peace accord during his 2023 presidential campaign. Speaking at the Edo Election Security Townhall in Benin City, Kukah emphasized that the committee cannot force any presidential candidate to sign the peace pact, which has become an electoral ritual in the last decade.

According to Kukah, the failure of political parties and their candidates to sign the peace accord sends a wrong signal to Nigerians, which the opposition can easily exploit. He drew parallels with the 2019 election, where the presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, initially failed to sign the peace accord but later did so after the opposition criticized his absence.

Kukah also highlighted that President Tinubu, when he was a presidential candidate, did not sign the peace accord, and the committee did not take any action against him. The bishop emphasized that the committee’s role is moral, not legal, and that they cannot compel candidates to sign the accord.

The bishop’s statement has sparked controversy, with many questioning the significance of the peace accord and its impact on the political landscape in Nigeria. While some have criticized the committee for not taking a stronger stance against candidates who refuse to sign the accord, others have argued that the accord is merely a symbolic gesture with little practical effect.

As the political landscape in Nigeria continues to evolve, the significance of the peace accord and its role in promoting peaceful elections remains a topic of debate.