Prime News Ghana

2020 Election: Mahama, Akufo-Addo sign peace pact

By Justice Kofi Bimpeh
John Mahama & Akufo-Addo
John Mahama & Akufo-Addo
Shares
facebook sharing button Share
twitter sharing button Tweet
email sharing button Email
sharethis sharing button Share

Flagbearers of the two main political parties, President Akufo-Addo and John Mahama, have signed a peace pact on Friday, before the general elections.

President Nana Akufo-Addo and John Mahama signed the document at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.

Speaking ahead of the signing, President Akufo-Addo said he will accept the results of the elections.

"I am happy to give my word we would accept the verdict of the people."

"...leading a fair fight and we will willing congratulate the winners and go back to regroup and seek more persuasive ways to convince the electorate. It is in the interest of the political parties that there is not only the absence of violence but there is no tension and that there is a truly peaceful atmosphere throughout the country," he added. 

John Mahama also pledged to peace and called on the security agencies to be professional in the discharge of their duties.

"As we end our campaign tomorrow and prepare to vote on Monday I pledge to peace and to preserve the stability of our dear nation Ghana."

The election is about counting heads not cutting heads and so we will work together towards peaceful elections. I urge the security agencies, voters and all stakeholders to ensure law and order, we expect to see all security personnel behave professionally, all those deployed for election should be in uniform with visible name tags and service numbers. Let us try to prevent the violence of the past..."

Peace pacts were signed before the 2012 and 2016 elections, and the signatories committed themselves to work together to tackle electoral violence, impunity and injustice.

However, it was the 2016 peace pact that triggered the implementation of the 2020 commitment regarding the eradication of vigilantism.

It was in response to the violence in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in January 2019, after which President Akufo-Addo, the NPP and the NDC demonstrated political leadership and concerted action to tackle the menace of vigilante violence in the country.

That commitment resulted in the passage of the Vigilante and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999) and the subsequent adoption of the Code of Conduct and Roadmap Against Vigilante Violence by the National Peace Council (NPC).

 

 

 

 

 

Chairman of National Peace Council, Dr Ernest Adu Gyamfi  

Â