The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, has expressed the party’s concerns regarding the signing of a peace pact ahead of Ghana’s 2024 general elections.
He stated that the party intends to formally request the National Peace Council to involve other significant institutions, which would strengthen the agreement and make it more binding.
The NDC has declined appeals from the Peace Council to sign a peace pact prior to the December elections.
National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia reiterated the party’s refusal to sign any peace agreement unless the recommendations from the committee established to investigate the 2020 electoral violence are addressed.
While speaking at the Agent of Peace Campaign organized by the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches (GPCC) on Sunday, November 3, Mahama conveyed the NDC’s commitment to fostering peace but stressed the necessity of including additional institutions to ensure that peace commitments are effectively upheld.
“With regard to the pre-election Peace Accord, we will formally propose to the National Peace Council to broaden the signatories to include other vital stakeholders in our elections.
“We believe this will obligate other key institutions to fulfill their roles in ensuring a peaceful election. It is our hope that this will transform the pact into a more binding commitment to peace rather than just a ceremonial document lacking real significance,” he stated.
The former president also emphasized the need to separate religious affiliations from political ones, urging Ghanaians to prioritize a leader’s competence over their religious background.
“We have lived in peace and co-existed as various religions in Ghana. This election has nothing to do with our religious persuasions. We are not looking for an imam to lead us in congregational prayers. We are not looking for an apostle to lead Sunday church service. We are looking for the right expertise to lead our nation to make our nation better,” he stated.
