By Precious Mark
The Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called for strict enforcement mechanisms to penalize political figures who violate electoral agreements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an interview at the Peace Accord ceremony on Tuesday, Obi argued that signing a peace accord without penalizing violators is insufficient to guarantee peaceful and credible elections.
“Signing a peace accord, as opposed to just signing a peace accord, I want a justice accord to be able to penalize those who go against the dictates of what we’re signing here,” Obi stated.
He emphasized that political candidates seeking public office must exhibit exemplary conduct and leadership throughout the electoral process.
“We’re seeking an office where we should be exemplary.”
“You can’t answer His Excellency without being an excellency. So that process that will make you to answer His Excellency should be excellent, and the only way to do it is to conduct yourself properly,” he said.
Reflecting on past elections, Obi paid tribute to individuals who lost their lives during election cycles and called on political leaders and citizens to ensure that no life is lost in future polls.
“Let us not forget those who died in ensuring that the election was achieved.”
“We should conduct ourselves in a way that in our democracy nobody needs to die for an election. It shouldn’t be. It is painful and I wish it never happens again,” he added.
When asked about his confidence in the electoral system, Obi explained that active participation remains necessary to achieve meaningful reforms.
“Because I want to change the process, I have to go through it, so I have to believe in it,” he noted.
Obi urged electoral managers and political actors to prioritize transparency so that votes reflect the true choice of the electorate.
“I don’t have any fear except to say that, please, for the sake of the children of Nigeria, can we have an election where people’s votes will count?” Obi added.