Presidential candidates in Nigeria sign agreement to accept outcome of upcoming polls

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria

Eighteen presidential candidates in Nigeria on Wednesday signed an agreement to accept the outcome of the Feb. 25 election.

The signing of the peace accord was to prevent post-election violence in the highly volatile political environment in the country, said Abdulsalam Abubakar, the chairman of the National Peace Committee, organizer of the accord.

"We are here to commit the presidential candidates and their parties to accepting the outcome of the election as long as it is adjudged free, fair and credible," he said at the event held in the capital Abuja.

He said that any candidate or political party who might have grievances about the outcome of the polls should approach the court.

Abubakar expressed concern over the rate of election-related violence in the country.

The agreement document contained a commitment to adhere to election rules, eschew violence and accept the outcome of the polls, he said.

He said 60 attacks in political campaign rallies with nine deaths have been recorded since late 2020.

"As a nation, we have to stop this," he said.

Mahmoud Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has urged Nigerians to trust the electoral process.

Meanwhile, EU Ambassador to Nigeria Samuela Isopi said the peace accords signed in previous elections in the country played a crucial role in the advancement of democracy in the country and on the African continent.