Umamah Bakharia | ub@radioislam.co.za

4min read
4 October 2022 | 11:16 am CAT

Nigeria’s presidential candidates signed an accord committing to a peaceful campaign for the 2023 election.

Nearly all of the 18 candidates for president signed the agreement at an event in the capital,  Abuja, where authorities have begun rolling out plans to ensure peaceful elections.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Nigerian journalist Soloman Elusoji says this agreement will ensure peace. “The document compels them to ensure that their supporters are peaceful throughout the election process,” he says.

Similar peace agreements have been struck in every general election cycle since 2015 as violence previously has erupted due to the election results.

According to a coalition of civil society groups, at least 58 people died in election-related incidents in 2019.

“It got better over the years,” says Elusoji. He adds, “signing this document was one of the key factors in ensuring that there wasn’t post-election violence.”

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is due to leave office in May 2023 after completing his second term and has promised peaceful voting to elect a successor.

Listen to the full interview here: