The top candidates in Nigeria’s presidential election are set to sign a peace accord on Wednesday ahead of the election scheduled for February 16.
President Muhammadu Buhari and his main challenger Atiku Abubakar are expected to sign the peace declaration, pledging to do whatever is in in their power to ensure the West African country does not descend into chaos because of the vote.
The accord will be signed at the Abuja International Conference Centre, as the two leaders prepare to hold their final campaign rallies in the administrative capital on Thursday.
A statement by head of the secretariat of the National Peace Committee, Father Atta Barkindo, said the peace accord was “aimed at committing stakeholders to accepting the outcome of the vote, as long as it is announced by INEC, the body empowered by law and is adjudged to be free, fair and credible.”
More than 80 million of Nigeria’s population of 190 million people are registered to vote in Saturday’s election.
In total, 73 candidates are registered to run.
Wednesday’s peace accord signing ceremony will be witnessed by various representatives from African countries, as well as international election observers.
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton was also scheduled to attend the ceremony in Abuja but canceled, saying there was a probability that his visit to Nigeria would be politicized.
