President Akufo-Addo has advised Ghanaians to accept the verdict of the Electoral Commission and support the eventual winner of the elections as they go to the polls.
Addressing the nation, he lauded the capability of Ghana to hold peaceful elections with an improvement in each electoral voting process.
“This will be the eighth time we shall be going through this important activity in the Fourth Republic, and we can safely say that each one has been an improvement on the previous one.
“I am fortified in my belief that we will, if, indeed, the successful holding of last Tuesday’s Special Voting exercise is the measure”.
Expressing his confidence in the Electoral Commission who he noted has “already assured the country of its readiness to deliver another successful process”, he extolled their expertise in compiling “the most credible voters’ register in our history”.
“At the end of the day, there should be no lingering question about the legitimacy of the election, and the winning candidate, at the end of the process, should receive the unalloyed support of all. That is how we can strengthen our democracy and the peace and stability of our nation”.
“…we have yet another opportunity to deepen further these excellent credentials”.
Particularly, in the wake of the pandemic, he urged all and sundry to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols “put in place at all the thirty-eighty thousand, six hundred and twenty-two (38,622) polling stations”, to ensure everyone “cast our ballots in safety”.
“We should, therefore, not panic or be afraid. Many countries around the world have conducted elections within this period, and I have no doubt that Ghana will join those nations in organizing a successful general election, even in the midst of the virus”.
Further admonishing the entrenchment of peace across every polling center and by extension the nation, President Akufo-Addo explained that “using your God-given and constitutional rights costs nothing, but staying home can come at a very steep price”, further entreating “all eligible voters to turn out in your numbers, cast your vote, and, thereby, exercise your sovereign right to the making of government in the country”.
“As President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, it is my responsibility to guarantee the peace of the nation. It is, thus, crucial that…vote be conducted in an atmosphere of peace and security, devoid of intimidation and violence. The Ghanaian people are entitled to go about the exercise of their civic duties in peace and in freedom”.
According to President Akufo-Addo, he has likewise received the commitment of security services who have assured him “that they have made adequate preparations to protect the sanctity of the process”.
“They have assured me of their determination to carry out their duties without fear or favor. Improper behaviour by any citizen, no matter their political colour, will not be tolerated, and I am encouraged by the assurance by the Inspector General of Police, as well as by the heads of the other security services, that they will be even-handed in their response to issues. That is the only way the rule of law can be upheld”.
In parting, he noted “the entire world is looking up to us to maintain our status as a beacon of democracy, peace and stability”, highlighting the achievements of the 4th Republic as “we have had the longest, uninterrupted period of stable, constitutional governance in our history”.
“Together, let us continue to lay the platform for the evolution of a new Ghanaian civilization, which will give true meaning to the foundational values of freedom and justice on which our nation was conceived by its far-sighted, visionary founders”.
