Editorial

NPP,NDC commitment to peace after SC’s election petition ruling laudable

The Supreme Court of Ghana will today deliver ruling on an election petition filed by former President John Mahama praying it to order a re-run of the 2020 presidential election between him and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to him, none of the candidates that contested the election won more than 50 per cent of the valid votes cast to be declared winner of the presidential election.

The apex court will today, Thursday, give its verdict on whether or not President Akufo-Addo was legitimately elected in the December 7, 2020 polls as was declared by the Electoral Commission.

Ex-President Mahama, the petitioner and the first and second respondents, the Electoral Commission and President Akufo-Addo, have in the past few weeks been arguing it out to convince the court to rule in their favour.

Although, the case is being fought in the court, supporters of the litigating parties have been engaged in heated arguments creating tension in the country.

As a result, many fear that a losing party may not accept the verdict and that could lead to violence and for that reason, civil society organisations (CSOs), chiefs, the clergy as well as individuals have in the last few days been calling on supporters and parties involved in the case to accept the verdict to be delivered by the Supreme Court today.

Fortunately, the two leading political parties, theruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democracy Congress (NDC) ahead of the ruling,  have committed to the peace of the country after the judgment of the election petition today.

They made thecommitment following a consultative meetingheld betweenthem last Thursday, under the auspices of the Ministry of National Security and chaired by the Chief-of-Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare.

In attendance werethe Presidential Advisor on Security, BrigadierGeneral Emmanuel Okyere (Rtd), Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, thePresident’s Representative at the Ministry of National Security and Mr AmbroseDery, the Minister for the Interior-designate

The rest were the political and security leadership of the two parties, with the NPP represented by Mr Freddie Blay, National Chairman and John Boadu, General Secretary, while the NDC was represented by Mr Kofi Totobi-Quakyi, former Minister for National Security, Lt ColLarry Gbevlo-Lartey (Rtd), former National Security Coordinator andDirector for Operations, Capt (GN) Baffour Assasie-Gyimah, formerDeputy National Security Advisor and Mr Kofi Attoh, National ViceChairman.

Also, in attendance were IGP James Oppong-Boanuh and theChief of Defence Staff (CDS), Rear Admiral Seth Amoama.

The Ghanaian Times welcomes the move by the political parties, which hopefully would send a strong signal to the their supporters ahead of the ruling, to prevent them from engaging in violent acts that would endanger national peace, security and threaten the country’s democratic gains.

It is our fervent hope and prayer that all the parties would accept the judgment of the Supreme Court and call their supporters to order, no matter the outcome.

We also wish to remind all citizens that this is the only country we have and we must not engage in any activity that would plunge it into chaos.

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