As Ghana approaches the 2024 general elections, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has announced that the party will not be signing any peace declarations, expressing doubts about their effectiveness in preventing electoral violence.
Speaking on an Accra-based television, Asiedu Nketia criticized the symbolic nature of such agreements, arguing that past experiences have shown they do little to address the root causes of unrest.
“Signing a peace declaration doesn’t mean anything to the party, as previous pacts have not yielded any real results,” Asiedu Nketia stated emphatically.
He stressed that true prevention of violence requires proactive measures, not just symbolic gestures.
“If you allow violence to brew, it will happen whether you sign a declaration or not. That’s why, more than a year ago, I started talking about the need to remove the building blocks for a violent election,” he explained, highlighting the need for early intervention to prevent tensions from escalating into violence.
Asiedu Nketia further criticized the practice of signing peace agreements after tensions have already escalated, urging authorities to address the underlying issues that could lead to violence.
“At any stage when something is happening, I call on those who, in the future, will call us to sign a declaration to speak up and stop it from happening. Otherwise, if you let these issues build up and then say, ‘Let’s play a peace football match, sign a declaration, and hope for a peaceful election,’ it won’t work. We did all this and more in 2020,” he noted, referencing the violence that marred the previous election.
Known widely as “General Mosquito,” Asiedu Nketia pointed out that despite the involvement of respected bodies like the Council of State and the Peace Council in previous peace declarations, the 2020 elections were still plagued by violence.
He insisted that the focus should be on addressing the fundamental causes of unrest, rather than relying on peace declarations that he believes have proven ineffective.
“Signing or not signing is not the issue. What we need to address are the building blocks that lead to violence,” he insisted.
Asiedu Nketia also raised concerns about the illegal recruitment of approximately 10,000 individuals into the security services, warning that this could be a potential source of unrest in the upcoming elections.
“It’s brewing now,” he added ominously, suggesting that the situation could escalate if not addressed.
The NDC has been vocal about its grievances from the 2020 elections, where the party contested the results, labeling them as “flawed” and alleging that state security forces were used to intimidate voters in their strongholds.
The National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF) reported that eight lives were lost during the 2020 general elections, with 61 recorded cases of electoral and post-electoral violence across the country, including six incidents involving gunshots.
As the 2024 elections draw nearer, Asiedu Nketia’s statements underscore the NDC’s cautious approach, prioritizing the prevention of violence through addressing systemic issues rather than relying on symbolic peace agreements.
His remarks serve as a stark reminder of the challenges that lie ahead as Ghana prepares for what is expected to be a highly contested and closely watched election.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
Comentários