Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and a number of opposition leaders have signed a deal for peaceful elections ahead of the February 16 polls, but the main challenger for the country’s top deal was not present.
The 75-year-old former military ruler was joined by representatives of other parties to commit to what he said should be peaceful and credible elections. The text of the peace accord is the same as the one signed before the 2015 polls, which saw Buhari win.
But there was no sign of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, from the PDP, who is expected to be Buhari’s main challenger at the February 16 polls. Also absent was Donald Duke, a former governor of Cross River state, and Oby Ezekwesili, who was education minister under Olusegun Obasanjo and is a former World Bank vice-president.
Both are standing for minor parties. In 2011, about one thousand people were killed after clashes between supporters of Buhari after his defeat to Goodluck Jonathan.
