Former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Sam Okudzeto
Former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Sam Okudzeto, has expressed concern over what he describes as the growing acts of hooliganism in the country, particularly during and after the December 7 elections.
Speaking in an interview on Hot Issues on TV3, on Wednesday, February 6, 2025, he stated that such lawless acts threaten the integrity of Ghana’s democracy.
Sam Okudzeto suggested that much of the controversies surrounding elections is caused by the actions of political actors, rather than the Electoral Commission (EC).
The former GBA president also pointed out instances during the elections where EC officials were allegedly threatened with guns and forced to declare certain candidates as winners, describing such actions as a manifestation of the growing lawlessness in the country.
“It is not the EC’s job to fight political parties. They are trying not to give the impression that they are against any particular group. But how do people go and set fire to ballot boxes in an electoral office? What does that mean? It’s hooliganism.
“Now, we become a country of hooligans. How do people go and set up fire to the ballot boxes in an electoral office? What’s the meaning? It’s hooliganism when people felt that the CI127 kind of guided the elections”, he stated.
Okudzeto further argued that any disputes on electoral results should be settled through the pink sheets, which serve as the final record of the elections.
“When there is confusion over who has won, let’s go to the pink sheets and see what they say. That is final. How can some claim not to have it? Were they not at the polling station? That is the lie of lies,” he added.
He called for greater responsibility from political parties and a commitment to peaceful democratic processes.
The 2024 general elections saw a surge in electoral violence, with 76 incidents recorded, according to a joint report by CDD-Ghana, CODEO, WANEP, and NERG.
Key electoral materials and EC offices at Damango and Ayensuano were destroyed, raising concerns over the credibility of the elections.
The post-election period was also marked by arson, raids, and attacks on party offices by disgruntled governing party supporters protesting delays in political appointments.
JKB/AE
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