The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has said President Bola Tinubu is not committed to peace following his absence at the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Naija News reports that presidential candidates and political party representatives signed the National Peace Accord on Tuesday in Abuja, organised by the National Peace Committee, which commits political actors to peaceful conduct and issue-based campaigns before, during, and after the elections.
Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore, Donald Duke and other candidates participated in the ceremony, which the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan and other stakeholders attended.
However, President Tinubu failed to attend the ceremony but was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume.
Reacting to the development, Adebayo, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, said Tinubu’s absence sent the wrong signal to political actors, law enforcement agencies and government officials about his commitment to the peace process.
Adebayo urged Tinubu to explain his absence and publicly reaffirm his commitment to ensuring a peaceful electoral process.
The SDP chieftain described Akume’s presence as an insult to the process, stressing that the SGF is not involved in the election.
He said, “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.
“So, he needs to correct that by making a clear statement explaining why he is absent and making sure that he makes a statement committing himself to the peace process.
“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. The state has to exist and a free, fair and credible election is important for establishing civil government.
“Oh please, this is an insult to the process. The SGF is not involved in the election. You have your Vice President who could come.
“I don’t see any reason why President Tinubu, who works and lives in Abuja and who has the influence on influencing the date when the thing will be signed and who has given assurance that he will come, I see that President Tinubu has been missing in action.”
The SDP candidate recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari attended the signing of the accord years ago, despite not being a candidate in the election at the time.
He added, “Four years ago he [Tinubu] was around, and President Buhari, who was not even contesting, was around. It is good for you as a leader that you believe in a peace process.”
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