The Nigerian Presidency has responded to recent remarks made by Bishop Matthew Kukah, clarifying that President Bola Tinubu did, in fact, sign the peace accords before the 2023 elections.
The Senior Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, stated that the allegations that President Tinubu did not sign the peace accords are false and misleading.
This response comes after Bishop Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Co-Chairman of the National Peace Committee, made comments during an Edo Election Security Townhall in Benin on Sunday.
In his speech, Bishop Kukah suggested that political parties and candidates are not legally required to sign peace accords and highlighted instances where candidates did not sign, including a reference to President Tinubu.
He said: “The National Peace Committee, what we do is not in the Electoral Act, it’s not law; it’s moral. You can’t compel people to fall in love or love their neighbour.
“If you go back to the 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the PDP, was not there to sign the Peace Accord. And of course, the opposition went to town, which is what it ought to be, and the next day, he (Atiku) turned up to sign.
“What is also very interesting is that the current president, when he was a presidential candidate, did not sign; it wasn’t our fault that the political opposition didn’t take advantage of it.
“It’s a pity but we are not going to take anybody to court for not signing the Peace Accord. The only thing it does to you as a candidate is that it sends a wrong signal which can be very easily exploited by the opposition.”
However, Onanuga countered these claims, stressing that President Tinubu did participate in the peace accords, though his first appearance was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He explained that the peace process leading up to the 2023 elections involved two key agreements. The first was signed on September 29, 2022, committing all candidates to ensure a peaceful and credible election.
“Contrary to the claims by Bishop Kukah, President Tinubu signed the two peace accords preceding his election in 2023. The first accord, committing the candidates to a free and credible election in the country, was signed on September 29, 2022. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu.
“The second agreement, signed on February 23, 2023, was for the candidates to accept the election outcome. Tinubu signed,” Onanuga wrote on his X handle.
