President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on religious leaders to restrain members who are publicly prophesying the outcome of Ghana’s upcoming general elections, set for December 7, 2024.
Speaking through the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, at the “Agent of Peace” Campaign hosted by the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) on Sunday, November 3, 2024, President Akufo-Addo urged the clergy to promote peace and respect during this crucial electoral period.
“Indeed, democracy requires more than elections, but the country cannot be democratic without holding genuine elections to elect its leaders. Elections are the basis for democratic legitimacy and they are a mechanism to peacefully resolve the transfer of political power.
“We in Ghana have grown and must learn the lessons of having peaceful elections. We must avoid the use of provocative and abusive language in our campaigning. Let us respect the electorate and not assume that one political party has already won the election when a single ballot is yet to be cast.
“I call on all our revered members of the clergy also to put a check on those of their members who are going round and prophesying winners of an election which is yet to be held,” citinewsroom.com quoted Stephen Asamoah Boateng to have said on behalf of the president.
The president emphasised the need for decorum among political parties and religious communities alike, cautioning against divisive rhetoric and premature claims of victory.
He stressed that respectful political discourse is essential as Ghana, a beacon of democratic progress in the region, heads into the 2024 election season.
