Why Ghana elections must be peaceful, Obasanjo writes party leaders

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he is concerned about the elections in Ghana not only as an African but also because of its shared colonial history with Nigeria.

Obasanjo, in a three-page letter made public on Saturday, addressed the leaders of Ghana’s leading political parties, National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party.

He emphasised the need for peaceful electioneering for the country’s stability.

The document, dated November 20, 2020, was titled ‘Letter to the leadership of New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) on ensuring peaceful, credible and transparent general elections on 7 December, 2020 in Ghana.

In the presidential poll, the incumbent President and NPP candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, will be facing John Mahama of the NDC, a replica of what played out in the 2016 election. Akufo-Addo had, in 2016, defeated Mahama as incumbent president in 2016.

Obasanjo, in the letter issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, sought for building efforts aimed at enhancing mutual trust and confidence among themselves in the relevant national institutions and in the electoral process.

The letter read partly, “I write to you, leaders of the two main political parties in Ghana, to urge you to do all you can to ensure peaceful conduct of the general elections.

“My concern about the elections in Ghana is not only as an African, but also because of our shared colonial history, our anthropological background, and the fact that I began my military career from Teshire, Ghana, and without that, I would perhaps not have been what I am today.

“As leaders of the two main political leaders, this is the legacy you have been entrusted to preserve, heading into elections. Your role is unique in that the NPP and the NDC are the main players; (they) have made significant contributions to the peace and stability of Ghana, and are vested with the capacity, influence, and control to constructively shape national discussions and processes such as the upcoming elections.

“In this vein, the success or failure of the elections, a key aspect of democratic consolidation in Ghana, will largely depend on the posture of the NPP and NDC leadership and how that manifested by the actions of their supporters.”