The National Peace Committee (NPC) has called on political parties, gubernatorial candidates and their supporters to translate their commitments under the Osun State Governorship Election Peace Accord into peaceful and responsible conduct as the state prepares for the August 15, 2026 election.

The Committee made the call at the signing of the Peace Accord held in Osogbo on Thursday, where political parties and their gubernatorial candidates publicly reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful, credible and inclusive electoral process.

Delivering the welcome remarks on behalf of the Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, John Cardinal Onaiyekan said the Accord represented another important milestone in the Committee’s longstanding efforts to promote dialogue, build trust and ensure that political competition does not become a trigger for violence.

According to him, democracy flourishes when political competition is guided by peace, restraint and respect for the rule of law, urging political actors to conduct the remainder of their campaigns with civility and responsibility.

He appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to reject violence, hate speech, misinformation and other actions capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process, stressing that no electoral victory was worth the loss of a single life.

“The greatest victory we can all achieve is a peaceful election that truly reflects the freely expressed will of the people,” he said.

The Committee also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and the media to continue to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism, impartiality and a shared commitment to peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.

The NPC noted that the Peace Accord was particularly significant for Osun, a state widely associated with the Omoluabi values of integrity, honour, responsibility and mutual respect, which, it said, should continue to guide political competition and public conduct.

Also speaking, Gen. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai in his closing remarks described the occasion as more than the signing of a document, but a public reaffirmation of the collective commitment of stakeholders to peaceful and democratic elections in Osun State.

He said the signatures appended to the Accord represented a solemn commitment by political parties and their candidates before the people of Osun State and the nation to uphold restraint, respect for the rule of law and democratic principles throughout the electoral process.

He, however, emphasised that the responsibility for peaceful elections extends beyond political actors, calling on every institution and stakeholder represented at the ceremony to ensure that the commitments made were translated into concrete actions.

He stressed that the true test of the Accord would not be the signatures appended to it, but the conduct of the signatories and their supporters in the days ahead.

“History rarely remembers those who signed agreements; it remembers those who honoured them. Today we have signed a Peace Accord; tomorrow, we must live by it. That is the true test of our commitment to democracy,” he said.

The National Peace Committee expressed confidence that the people of Osun State would demonstrate that democracy is strongest where peace prevails and the freely expressed will of the people is respected.