Upper East opinion leaders, NDC, NPP advocate peace
Some traditional rulers and representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region have appealed to Ghanaians in general and residents of the region in particular to accept the Supreme Court verdict on the election petition in good faith.
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The President of the Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of the Sakote Traditional Area, Naba Sigri Bewong, his Vice, Pe Aditundi Anidu Ayagitam III, as well as the leaders of the communications teams of both the NDC and NPP in the region, in separate interviews, urged Ghanaians to be calm before and after the verdict and refrain from actions and utterances that could lead to violence that would undermine peace and development.
Naba Sigri Bewong said Ghana was more important than any existing political party and peace was very paramount, hence the need for all to respect the outcome of the petition
"I expect everyone, especially the youth, not to resort to any act of violence. Let us all respect the rule of law and abide by whichever verdict the justices of the Supreme Court will come out with," he said.
Pe Aditundi Anidu Ayagitam, who is also the Paramount Chief of Chiana, said Ghana had for a long time enjoyed peace and it would be very sad if the nation should lose all the praises being showered on her as a very peaceful country.
He said as the entire nation awaited the final verdict, it was incumbent on every Ghanaian to put the interest of the country first and preserve the unity and peace prevailing.
"We should all understand that peace is the only thing to help us advance and match up to the other developed countries," he added.
For his part, the leader of the communication team of the NDC, Mr Amos Awinzor, said as a leader, he seized every opportunity that came his way to advise supporters of the party on the need to keep the peace.
"We need peace more than anything to govern. So if we do anything to hurt the system, we will not be able to achieve our aim," he said
Mr Awinzor said apart from that, at the end of the day, elections and its aftermath issues should not be a matter of breaking heads adding that election was a contest and that power belong to the people and at any point in time, if the people said you had the power, then you had it. If they said you didn’t have it, you didn’t have it and as political parties and supporters, this was a principle we ought to understand.
Mr Bashiru Ibrahim, leader of the NPP communication team, said all supporters of the party in the region had been admonished to get themselves prepared to accept the outcome of the petition.
"After all, Ghana is the only country we have and in line with the conviction of our leader, and also the fact that our party has come out with guidelines, a number of sensitisation programmes have been held to guide all those who speak for the party to avoid making judgemental comments and also be civil," he said.
He said the leadership of the party together with the communication team had taken a decision to educate supporters of the party to accept the outcome of the petition, irrespective of which way it went.
By Benjamin Xornam Glover/Daily Graphic/Ghana