The National Peace Committee (NPC) has revealed that it faced significant pressure to intervene during the 2023 Presidential Election, with calls to halt the collation of results or cancel the election altogether.
The disclosure was made public on Friday in Abuja during the presentation of the NPC’s 106-page report on the 2023 General Election titled, “Nigeria’s Pursuit of Electoral Compliance: National Peace Committee NPC 2023 General Elections Report.”
The committee, led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, detailed the behind-the-scenes efforts by partisans and other unnamed entities to influence the electoral process. In the report, it was disclosed that both Abdulsalami, the Convener Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, and the Head of the NPC Secretariat, Fr. Atta Barkindo, were overwhelmed with calls and petitions demanding that the NPC urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop collation of the results due to alleged gross violations of the Electoral Act by political actors.
“As the election day progressed, criticisms and counter criticisms became abundant,” the report noted. “The NPC was already being faced with a flurry of phone calls and the need to call INEC to order. The Peace Committee was flooded with requests for intervention.” The requests ranged from urging the NPC to halt the result collation to calling for the complete cancellation of the election, citing non-compliance with the Peace Accord signed by political leaders and their candidates.
One of the most significant points of contention was the 25% threshold requirement for Federal Capital Territory (FCT). “Some of the analysts who reached out to the committee asked that the final election result should not be announced because the presumptive president-elect did not score the required 25% as stated in the Electoral Act,” the report highlighted.
The Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, among others, criticised the NPC’s silence despite the numerous election petitions and potential consequences. The Centre pointed out that the NPC had actively engaged political leaders on the need for peaceful and credible elections before the polls but had failed to issue a post-election statement addressing the outcome and the steps necessary to prevent violence.
Responding to the criticisms, the report clarified that the NPC’s role was purely moral and not constitutional. “The NPC has no mandate to arrest violators of process or interfere with the constitutional duties of INEC. It is set up to provide moral intervention, defined by mediation and moral persuasion to ensure that there is peace,” the report stated. The Committee’s mandate is centered on promoting peace and encouraging adherence to the rule of law, rather than taking any legal or punitive action.
The report further elaborated on the limited awareness among Nigerians regarding the NPC’s role, which has led to questions about the significance of engaging with the Committee. “Most people are not aware that the NPC provides only a moral intervention, and it has no constitutional duty to arrest, punish or prosecute any citizen for any wrongdoing,” the report added.
Members of the NPC include notable figures such as Ebitu Ukiwe (Vice Chairman), Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (Convener), Sultan of Sokoto Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, business moguls Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, among other notable Nigerians.
