The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged political parties to prioritize presenting their policies to the electorate instead of resorting to divisive or hateful rhetoric.
Speaking ahead of the December 7 general elections on Wednesday, November 20, Otumfuo emphasised the need for peace and urged all political actors to avoid actions or statements that could incite violence.
He called for a campaign environment focused on constructive dialogue and national unity.
The Asantehene made these remarks during a visit by Kofi Akpaloo, the Presidential Candidate of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), who led a delegation of his party’s leadership to seek Otumfuo’s support and blessings for the upcoming elections.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II reiterated that the elections should be a reflection of Ghana’s democratic maturity, calling on all stakeholders to ensure that peace and progress remain at the forefront.
“It appears my children are the ones contesting in the elections and yes, Kofi is one of them. So I will pray that everything goes well for him as well. I have seen his flyers in town. We pray for peace in the coming election. Ghana will continue to exist due to the power of God.
“Winning an election entails patience. I pray my son Kofi prevails, I know that once he wins, he will come here to visit. I also want to thank my in-laws for supporting him. All those in the team should all come together and help for peace to prevail”
Kofi Akpaloo, on the other hand, has called on the US Embassy to get its European counterparts to impose similar VISA restrictions on individuals attempting to disrupt Ghana’s electoral process ahead of the polls.
“Looking at the way things are going, I think this election is going to be more peaceful. Recently, we all heard from the American Embassy that anybody who is going to cause chaos will be denied a Visa to travel outside the country.
“I spoke to the American ambassador as I was seated beside her to ask the European counterpart to also issue the same statement and she said yes, she is going to do that very soon, and she believes the British high commission is going to follow suit. When you have nowhere to hide, you will be compelled to do the right thing”.
“This country is for everyone, so if you win this election fantastic, if you don’t win, you come back the next time to contest. You can not impose yourself on anyone, but we are all asking the electoral commission to do what is necessary such that no one will have the need to complain. We are doing our best and everywhere in the country we are making sure to monitor our results,” he added.