by Nurat Uthman
A delegation of the West African Elders Forum observation mission led by former President Goodluck Jonathan, arrived in Accra, Ghana, ahead of the December 7 general elections in the country.
The WAEF’s communications Officer, Wealth Dickson Ominabo, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
Ominabo, in the statement, quoted Jonathan on arrival in Ghana, as urging Ghanaians to be patriotic and work for peaceful, free and transparent elections.
Other members of the delegation include former Burkinabe Prime Minister and President of the ECOWAS, Mr Kadre Ouedraogo; Executive Director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Ms Ann Iyonu, and Special Adviser to Jonathan, Ikechukwu Eze.
Jonathan commended the people of Ghana for their enduring commitment to democratic values, adding that Ghana’s history of peaceful political transitions served as a beacon for democratic governance across Africa.
“The upcoming elections present another opportunity for Ghanaians to reinforce their dedication to democracy, stability, and development,” he stated.
The mission leaders also charged the electoral commission of Ghana and the security agencies to keep to their mandate of independence and neutrality to ensure a credible polling process.
He added, “WAEF urges the Electoral Commission of Ghana to uphold its mandate of conducting free and fair elections and ensuring the transparency and credibility of the 2024 elections as a way of building trust among the electorate and stakeholders.
“We encourage the security agencies to sustain their professional conduct, maintain their neutrality and a peaceful electoral environment by ensuring impartial deployment to safeguard voting materials, polling centres, and citizens across the country.
“As we approach the end of campaign activities, we urge all political parties and their candidates to reaffirm their commitment to peaceful campaigns devoid of hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric, and personal attacks.”
The former President also called on political parties, candidates and all stakeholders to respect the integrity of the electoral process and pledged to resolve disputes through lawful and constitutional channels.
Jonathan further urged the youth and party supporters to remain law-abiding during and after the elections, avoiding acts of intimidation or violence.
Describing Ghana as a model of democracy, Jonathan also urged Ghanaians to seek to safeguard Ghana’s democratic legacy by rejecting violence, intimidation, or actions that could undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
“By working together, Ghanaians can once again assert the country’s position as a model of democracy built on a tradition of peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections,” he said.
