In a bid to ensure a violence-free 2024 general election, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Presidential Candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has reaffirmed his commitment to peaceful polls.
This pledge comes on the heels of a worrying trend of inflammatory rhetoric on campaign platforms, which has raised concerns about the potential for violence.
Ghana’s political history has been marred by election-related violence, including the 2012 Supreme Court verdict dispute and the 2016 isolated incidents of violence and intimidation.
However, Dr. Bawumia is determined to break this cycle of violence.
He emphasized, “Let me state my firm commitment to free, fair and peaceful elections in December. The quest for political power should not be an end in itself. It should be mounted on the desire to transform lives and make Ghana our motherland a better place for us all.”
Speaking with journalists in Accra on Sunday, August 25, Dr. Bawumia expressed concern over the use of incendiary language, stating, “It is becoming increasingly worrying, that some people have gained notoriety of churning out incendiary language, threatening fire and brimstone, if the good people of Ghana give the mandate to rule, to a group other than theirs.”
He further noted, “Whiles nobody profits from violence and chaos. It bears repeating that not a single drop of Ghanaian blood should be sacrificed for power.”
The NPP’s determination to elevate their ideas above those of other parties is a welcome development.
Dr. Bawumia pledged, “Our party is determined to pitch our ideas as we have always done and to demonstrate our superiority over any and above any other party can offer”
“I pledge and that of the NPP to campaign on ideas and conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of a democratic group,” he added.
Dr. Bawumia’s commitment to peaceful elections is unwavering, and his call for constructive political engagement and respectful dialogue must be echoed by all political leaders.
BY Daniel Bampoe
