Accept outcomes of elections for peace to prevail – Former Nigeria President

The Former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has appealed to various presidential and parliamentary candidates to accept the outcome of the elections for peace to reign in the country.

According to him , Ghana was a “beacon of democracy in Africa” ,hence the vital need for her to maintain its good reputation on the continent .

Mr Jonathan gave the advice in Accra Thursday at a meeting  with the  National Election Security Task Force(NESTF )and some eminent electoral bodies to discuss ways of ensuring  a peaceful electoral process come December 7th.

“So whenever you are going for election, you should be ready to lose or win. It’s not a war. And if you lose, maybe some other time, you will win,” he said .

Mr Jonathan stressed the importance of “transparency and trust”during elections, noting that, poorly managed elections were often the root cause of conflicts in Africa.

He ,therefore, advised the Electoral Commission(EC) and security agencies to act transparently and earn the public’s trust to prevent instability as this was crucial in safeguarding the country’s peace .

“We want an election that will be peaceful, transparent and credible, in order to make all the stakeholders happy and satisfied,” he said .

Mr Jonathan also urged media practitioners to prioritise “accuracy and truthfulness” in their reporting during the elections to prevent “confusion and misunderstanding” among the citizenry.

“So we plead with you the media  that whenever you get information, be sure to investigate and verify. This will prevent misinformation ,which may lead to potential crisis ,“he said .

For his part , the Founder and Executive Director of European Centre for Electoral Support, Mr Fabio Bargiacchi, pledged his organisation’s support for the upcoming elections, citing that , peace was not just a one man duty but a call to action.

Mr Bargiacchi  also commended Chairperson of the EC ,MrsJean Adukwei Mensa, for her tireless efforts in ensuring the country’s electoral process remained transparent and credible.

He also advised the citizenry to act responsibly as they prepare to exercise their voting rights come December 7th.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP ), Dr George AkuffoDampare, reaffirmed the determination of the Police Service to fulfilling its constitutional mandate of ensuring “peace, security, and law and order” throughout the election period and beyond.

“We pledge to uphold peaceful conduct, avoiding any actions that might undermine stability in the country during this election,” he said .

BY AGNES OWUSU

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