Presidency Refutes Kukah’s Claim that Tinubu Did Not Sign 2023 Election Peace Accord
September 18, 2024
The Nigerian Presidency has swiftly countered allegations made by Catholic Bishop Matthew Kukah, who claimed that President Bola Tinubu failed to sign the peace accord during the 2023 presidential election.
Kukah, speaking at the Edo election security town hall meeting in Benin on Sunday, suggested that President Tinubu’s absence from signing the accord undermined the commitment to a peaceful electoral process. “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,” Kukah remarked.
In response, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Strategy, took to X on Tuesday to refute Kukah’s claims. “Contrary to Bishop Kukah’s assertions, President Tinubu signed both peace accords leading up to the 2023 election,” Onanuga stated.
Onanuga clarified that the first peace accord, aimed at ensuring a free and credible election, was signed on September 29, 2022, with Vice President Kashim Shettima representing Tinubu at the event. The second accord, which committed signatories to accept the election results, was signed by Tinubu personally on February 23, 2023.
Prior to the February 25 presidential election, candidates assembled at Abuja’s International Conference Centre to sign the peace pact. This event saw participation from prominent figures including Labour Party’s Peter Obi, Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar, New Nigeria Peoples Party’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, and African Action Congress’s Omoyele Sowore.
Although President Tinubu was abroad in the UK for the first signing, he was present for the second accord, reaffirming his commitment to a peaceful electoral process.
