By George Omagbemi
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his absence from the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adebayo made the remarks on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, shortly after political parties and presidential candidates gathered in Abuja to sign the accord.
According to Adebayo, Tinubu’s failure to personally attend the ceremony could send the wrong message about the commitment of the presidency to a peaceful and credible electoral process.
He argued that, as President and leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu has a responsibility to set the standard for political conduct.
He described the absence as capable of undermining confidence in the peace initiative, particularly given the controversies surrounding recent elections.
However, Tinubu was represented at the ceremony by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who delivered remarks on the President’s behalf. In those remarks, Tinubu said the 2027 election must not be treated as a “do-or-die affair” and urged political actors to shun violence, hate speech and divisive rhetoric.
Adebayo himself signed the Peace Accord alongside other presidential candidates, including Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore.
The accord, facilitated by the National Peace Committee and The Kukah Centre, commits political actors to peaceful and issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
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