A peace and security campaigner, Ikechukwu Nwabueze, has cautioned candidates of political parties and their supporters against violating the peace accord signed ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Nwabueze, who is the Executive Director of the Orlu Progressive Initiative (OPI), a non-governmental organisation, urged all political actors to uphold the principles of peace, non-violence, and responsible political conduct.
He stressed that adherence to the accord is essential for ensuring credible, peaceful, and violence-free elections in Nigeria.
The ED, in a media chat in Owerri on Wednesday, expressed appreciation for the coming together of candidates across political parties for such a task, describing it as a welcome development.
He advised those involved in the signing of the accord to ensure they keep to it by understanding that an election is not a do-or-die affair.
Nwabueze also cautioned them to desist from campaigns of calumny and name-calling, but rather focus on issue-based campaigns that would promote transparency and peace during the election period.
He urged them to equally hold their supporters accountable to avoid destroying the system, while appealing to them to ensure their values are sustained.
On the use of youths as thugs, the peace and security campaigner cautioned candidates of political parties to avoid using youths as political thugs, with the tendency to snatch electoral materials, ballot boxes, or commit any electoral crimes during elections.
He used the interview to equally appeal to the youth not to allow themselves to be used as political thugs during elections.
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The ED cautioned them to resist any attempt by politicians to engage them in violence or commit any form of electoral crimes during the period.
He said: ” am pleading with the youths of this country to resist any money presented to them to be engaged in electoral crimes, to shun every violence as election is coming”.
For the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Executive Director, Nwabueze, appealed to the body to keep to its constitutional mandate to conduct credible, free, and fair election in the country.
He said: “INEC should not ho contrary to the expectations of the people of the country. They should remain neutral as provided by electoral law”.
According to him, this will make Nigerians continue to have confidence in the commission, as was demonstrated in the just-concluded Osun Governorship election.
While scoring INEC 60% in the Osun Governorship election, Nwabueze said that the election, to some larger extent, was successful but does not mean there is no room for more improvement.
He advised INEC to maintain the same position it took during the Osun Governorship election, which ended with Nigerians applauding the institution for a job well done.
On the planned Orlu Progressive Initiative upcoming summit scheduled to hold in Owerri next month, September 2026, Nwabueze said that the essence of the summit is to bring under one roof people from different strata of society to promote peace and security in the country and the South-East zone.
He said government and security agencies, traditional rulers, captains of industry, business men and women, traders, including market women, and politicians, irrespective of their political parties, have already been formally invited to the summit.