Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, has said that Ghana cannot lose its place as the pacesetter for Africa’s democracy.
During an engagement with the Elections Security Task Force in Accra ahead of this year’s general elections, the former Nigerian President made a case for the country to build on its thriving democracy and eschew violence in this electioneering period.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan is in Ghana under the umbrella of body the West African Elders Forum which comprises former African leaders. The Forum, since its inception in 2020, has been working to prevent conflict arising from elections on the West African bloc.
The delegation on Tuesday October 8, engaged the Election Security Task Force led by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare on measures to be taken in the conduct of a violence-free elections.
The IGP, was of the firm belief that the 2024 elections will be guided by previous experiences.
He said the election taskforce was constituted four months after the previous election and the results of subsequent elections, including the District Assembly Elections and three by-elections are there for everyone to see.
He assured former President Goodluck Jonathan that, ” the people of Ghana, the people of West Africa, Africa and our friends of the world, Ghana will come out of this election again stronger.”
The former Nigerian President said Ghana cannot afford to disappoint the rest of Africa after more than three decades of successful practice of democracy.
He said “when you visit a country and you interact with a number of people and you ask whether they are confident in the Electoral Commission and they respond yes, then you will smile. If you ask again that, are you confident in the security services and answer is yes, then you just have to take a cup of coffee and go away.
“But if the people give any answer other than yes, then you will know that you have a problem to solve and that is why we are here”, he affirmed.
He also emphasized the point that when election is poorly organized, it results in violence adding that about seventy percent of violence on the continent stems from elections.
“If a Country like Ghana goes down, it will affect the whole of West Africa and that is why we have come to engage the stakeholders,” he said.
The delegation later engaged the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa and some staff.
The team earlier called on former President John Dramani Mahama. Other stakeholders in the 2024 elections are expected to be engaged towards a peaceful and violent free election.
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