The National Chairman of the Council, Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, has stated that the National Peace Council (NPC) is closely monitoring the political discourse ahead of the polls on December 7 and will not hesitate to call out political parties and candidates who cross the red line by threatening violence.

Although it was common for political actors to have high expectations for winning elections, he said it was inappropriate for them to use threats of violence to get what they wanted.

Politicians who express optimism about winning an election are perfectly acceptable as nobody enters an election intending to lose. He emphasized that it is acceptable for them to make such remarks as long as they do not go too far and threaten to deploy the military, the police, or other forms of violence.

According to Rev. Dr. Adu-Gyamfi, who made this claim in an interview with Timothy Ngnenbe of Graphic Online on Monday, political parties’ pledges to win elections by all means necessary could be seen as a normal part of the campaign trail as long as they were free of violent threats.

However, he urged the political party leaders to stick to the agreement they made on July 3 of this year and run “a peaceful campaign devoid of personal attacks, name-calling, insults, personality attacks, and other indecent campaign practices ahead of the polls on December 7, 2024.”

Setting
In light of remarks made by Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abetifi in the Eastern Region, that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will win the December elections “by all means possible,” The Daily Graphic spoke with the NPC Chairman.

A portion of the public has criticized Mr. Acheampong, who also serves as the Minister of Agriculture, for repeatedly expressing belief that the NPP would maintain power despite all obstacles.

On April 8, 2023, Mr. Acheampong raised eyebrows when he said, at an NPP health walk in Mpraeso, that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would never take power because it would never win the elections.

Undressed luxury

He restated that the NDC will not win the 2024 general election to justify a handover by the NPP during another health walk held by the party on March 30 to commemorate Easter.

“Last year, I stood here in Mpraeso and declared that, like it or not, the NDC will never win the elections on December 7 and, as a result, the NPP will not transfer power to them. In Twi, he questioned, “Why do you want power given to you at all costs if you cannot win elections?”

“When I made the statement, Ghana was facing economic difficulties, which made it hard for contractors to complete their work and prevented them from continuing Agenda 111 projects among other things,” Mr. Acheampong continued.

The congressman emphasized that the NPP has pastors, imams, and traditionalists among its members and would employ all available tactics to win the elections last Saturday when on a campaign visit of Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

“I’ve stated that the NDC would never win the 2024 elections, whether they like it or not. They are not going to prevail. You are able to review their records. “The purpose of the NPP is to win elections,” Mr. Acheampong stated.

NDC’s response Mr. Acheampong’s remarks once again sparked controversy, with some arguing that such a stance may jeopardize national security.

Malik Basintale, the NDC’s deputy national communication officer, responded forcefully to the commotion by stating that the NPP would cede power in the event that they lost the polls.

Speaking at the NDC’s Upper West Regional campaign launch, Mr. Basintale advised Mr. Acheampong and the NPP not to try to take back power in the event that former President John Mahama prevails.

“We just watched as Bryan Acheampong tried to seize control of the hotels, and we stepped in to stop him.” And he has the audacity today to declare that he will not cede control to former President Mahama?

I have a message for him: if the people vote for your MPs and John Mahama on December 7, and if he is a true man, let him refuse to cede power and watch what transpires. He emphasized, “You will see fire when iron meets iron.”

Abandon violence
According to Kathleen Addy, the chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), politicians who resort to violence in order to gain political power are adversaries of the nation’s democratic system.

As a result, she asked voters to cast ballots against these instigators of chaos and violence on December 7.

“Politicians who threaten violence are a threat to peace and order, and no voter should have to sacrifice their lives or spill blood for them. She emphasized, “They, not you, the voters, should go out with their kids to commit the acts of violence they promise.”

Yesterday, Ms. Addy, who also addressed the Daily Graphic, said that politicians who are obsessed with power and violence should keep in mind that the nation’s growth depends on maintaining peace and order.

Calm
Speaking briefly about the current situation, Ms. Addy asked political figures to put the nation’s peace first by abstaining from remarks that can incite resentment.

She admonished lawmakers who were fond of saying things like this to keep in mind that the Public Order Act contained severe penalties for those who used violence to disturb the harmony in society.

According to Ms. Addy, the NCCE will keep educating the public about the importance of conducting elections inside the bounds of the law.