Edo: In 2023, Tinubu did not sign any peace accord-Bishop Kukah reveals

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah, has said there’s no point making noise as in 2023 President Bola Tinubu did not sign a peace accord during his presidential candidacy.

Kukah made the statement in Benin City at the Edo Election Security Townhall, raising concerns about political candidates neglecting this key practice.

Kukah, a convener of the National Peace Committee led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, warned that the refusal of political candidates to sign the peace accord sends a negative message, potentially encouraging electoral violence.

He noted that the peace accord is a moral obligation rather than a legal requirement, stating, “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 love their neighbor.”

Kukah also pointed out that during the 2015 elections, former PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar initially missed the signing of the peace pact but signed it the next day. Similarly, Tinubu’s failure to sign the peace accord as a candidate in 2023 was not capitalized on by the opposition, Kukah said. Advertisement While the peace accord is not legally binding, Kukah emphasized that skipping it can send damaging signals to the public.