On Monday in Awka, one after another, the candidates of all 16 political parties stepped forward, placed their signatures on the Peace Accord, and made a public pledge: no violence, no intimidation, no stolen mandate, only a credible election and a peaceful aftermath.
The hall felt like a crossroads of power and responsibility. Seated side by side were party chairmen who rarely share the same table, traditional rulers in full regalia, priests and imams in quiet observation, security chiefs in uniformed stillness, and citizens who simply want their votes to speak louder than bullets or propaganda. Even the INEC Chairman and Commissioners watched on, witnesses to an agreement that goes beyond ink and paper.
The Peace Accord was convened by the National Peace Committee, with support from the European Union through the EU–SDGN programme, a reminder that democracy is not only about ballots, but also about the conditions that allow those ballots to be cast without fear.