EFFURUN/Nigeria: Political actors, security agencies, electoral officials and community representatives in Delta State have signed a peace accord committing them to non-violent political campaigns and peaceful conduct ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development was announced in a statement issued by the Communications Desk of One Love Community Development, a project partner in the PIND-led consortium, following a multistakeholder peace forum held on November 9, 2026, at Casa De Pedro Hotel Annex, Effurun, Delta State.
The meeting brought together 63 participants drawn from political parties, government institutions, security agencies, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and grassroots communities under the 2027 Non-Violent Election Project.
According to the organisers, 35 participants signed the peace accord, pledging to discourage inflammatory political statements, restrain supporters from engaging in violence and promote peaceful electoral competition.
The remaining 28 participants reportedly deferred signing the document pending administrative clearance from their respective party structures at state and national levels.
A major component of the engagement was the presentation of a threat assessment report by Professor Andrew Agboro, who facilitated the forum and outlined the project’s operational framework.
The report identified eight local government areas in Delta State as potentially vulnerable to election-related violence, although the organisers did not name all eight areas in the statement released after the meeting.
Agboro said identifying potential flashpoints ahead of the elections would enable security agencies, community leaders and peacebuilding organisations to develop preventive measures rather than wait for violence to occur.
“Peace is not the absence of competition, but the presence of structural rules,” he said, adding that early identification of vulnerable areas would support proactive peacebuilding and more effective security responses.
The forum attracted representatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC), National Democratic Congress (NDC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), alongside officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Participants from the security and electoral institutions reportedly reaffirmed their commitment to neutrality, effective crowd management and the protection of critical infrastructure during the electoral process.
Civil society and community representation included the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), human rights groups, Christian and Islamic religious leaders, women’s organisations and traditional rulers.
Grassroots and youth representatives from Udu, Uvwie and Ughelli North, identified by the organisers as areas requiring particular attention, also participated in the engagement.
The organisers said the forum was designed to strengthen cooperation between public institutions and communities, particularly in areas where political tensions could threaten public safety and peaceful coexistence.
As part of the next phase, One Love Community Development and the PIND-led consortium announced plans to establish local peace monitoring committees in Udu, Uvwie and Ughelli North by November 30, 2026.
The committees are expected to support community-level monitoring, early identification of tensions and engagement with relevant stakeholders to prevent disputes from escalating into violence.
The organisers also said consultations would continue with the 28 participants who had not signed the accord, with the aim of securing their participation before the end of the year.
The peace initiative comes as political activities begin to gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections. Its effectiveness will depend not only on the commitments made at the forum but also on sustained engagement, impartial enforcement of electoral rules and the willingness of political actors to hold their supporters accountable.
