Two frontline candidates in Ghana’s presidential election – President Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) – will on Thursday sign a Presidential Elections Peace Pact (PEPP).
The election will hold on Monday, December 7.
Similar pacts were signed by candidates in the 2012 and the 2016 elections to commit themselves to working together to tackle electoral violence, impunity and injustice.
The 2020 PEPP was also in response to the violence in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in January last year, after which President Akufo-Addo, the NPP and the NDC demonstrated political leadership and concerted action to tackle the menace of vigilante violence in Ghana.
At the signing of the pact on the theme: “Eradicating vigilantism: The role of political parties”, the two candidates will once commit to non-violence, the resort to judicial process to seek redress in case of disputes and work towards eradicating vigilantism.
The event is being convened by the country’s National Chief Imam, the NPC, the National House of Chiefs and the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG).
The election is dubbed the “battle of two giants between the incumbent, Akufo-Addo and his predecessor Mahama.
It is the third time Akufo-Addo and Mahama will competing against each other for the highest office, with each previously having won one poll – Akufo-Addo in 2016 and Mahama in 2012.
Although 12 candidates are vying for the presidency, including two women, only Akufo-Addo and Mahama are said to have a chance of coming out victorious.
Another frontline candidate is Ghana’s National Democratic Party’s flagbearer, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
It was earlier rumoured that the widow of Ghana’s first president Jerry Rawlings was withdrawing from the contest.
In the wake of ex-president Rawlings’ death on November 12, an Accra-based radio station linked to the NDP alleged that the last-minute decision is linked to the demise of Konadu’s husband, who died two weeks ago.
But, the NDP had dismissed that rumour.
According to Ghana’s Electoral Commission Chairperson, Mrs. Jean Mensa, 17,027,641 persons are expected to take part in this year’s general election.
She said the number comprised 8,810,283 females (representing 51.74 per cent of total voters) and 8,217,358 males (48.26 per cent).
Mrs. Mensa noted that the Greater Accra Region had the highest number of registrants, while the North East Region had the least.
According to Mrs. Mensa, the voters’ register, together with all the other lists, were presented to all the political parties on November 7.
The Electoral Commission said 21,887 persons will not be allowed to vote on Election Day.
They consist of persons who engaged in multiple registrations as well as persons who engaged in various forms of electoral malpractices. (TheNation)
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