Graphic National Development Series: Election 2024: Watch out for vigilantes – Prof. Agyemang-Duah

A Governance expert, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has called for effective security arrangements for the December 7 polls this year.

He cautioned against activities of "disguised vigilantes" who he said might attempt to subvert the election process by impersonating official security agencies to cause violence.

Prof. Agyemang-Duah, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation, was speaking at the fourth edition of the Graphic National Development Series (GNDS) 2024 in Accra on the theme: "Sustaining civic & democratic governance system for development, mandate of all citizens." 

Context

The GNDS on elections is the final in the series for this year. The earlier discussions focused on agriculture, health and education.

The development series is a thought leadership national platform of the GCGL, carefully structured to steer strategic national discourse away from a partisan stance to reach outcomes of a national character behind which the country can rally for development.

The event brought together key stakeholders, including political parties, officials of the EC, national security operatives, local authorities and traditional and religious figures to provide updates on measures being taken to ensure peaceful, transparent and credible elections.

Vigilance

Prof. Agyeman-Duah, therefore, stressed the need for the police and other security agencies to be vigilant and take steps to identify and prevent such fake security operatives from causing any disturbances on election day.

He commended the EC for its transparency and expansiveness in the lead-up to the elections.

"The task falls on all of us to ensure that the elections become very successful, and more importantly, very peaceful," Prof. Agyemang-Duah added.

Collaboration

Some participants also added their voice by urging all citizens to get involved in sustaining the prevailing peace in the country.

“We must work together to ensure a peaceful poll to enable the country to consolidate its enviable accolade as the beacon of democracy, peace and stability in the sub-region,” they said.