The Former President of Nigeria, Mr Goodluck Jonathan, has commended security personnels for the robust security arrangements around Ghana’s general election.
According to him, the security personnels in the country had indeed proved that “Ghana was peaceful country” in terms of their electoral process and the need to maintain that reputation on the African continent.
Mr Jonathan gave the remarks in Accra on Saturday at a press conference, organised by the National Election Security Task Force (NESTF), to discuss the outcome of maintaining peace, before during and after the elections.
“I’m quite impressed with the security arrangement and what they are doing,”he said.
Mr Jonathan stressed that successful elections relied heavily on the collaboration of key institutions, namely electoral management bodies, security services, and the judiciary.
He emphasised that, “transparency and trust” were essential during elections, as poorly- managed elections often spark conflicts in Africa.
Mr Jonathan, who is leading a delegation from the West African Elders Forum, lauded the “professionalism of Ghana’s security agencies” and their commitment to ensuring a peaceful electoral process.
“I’m quite impressed with the security arrangement and what the police service is doing. Things are going on reasonably well and this is good step in promoting democracy,” he stated.
He commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP), for leading from the front, particularly in monitoring the “situation room “until election results were announced.
“In this case, he is there himself. This shows that the police and security services are serious, and with that, people will behave well,” he stressed.
However, the former Nigerian President expressed disappointment over election-day violence, highlighting specific incidents in the Northern and Central Regions, which tragically claimed one life and injured two others.
“Ghana is a big country, and we only hope we don’t experience this in any other part of the country again,” he said.
Mr Jonathan expressed optimism about the overall conduct of the elections, describing reports as indicating a largely peaceful process, despite isolated incidents of violence.
The Former President underscored the significance of institutional collaboration in upholding democratic values and urged all citizens to maintain law and other through this crucial period.
Mr Jonathan also expressed gratitude to Ghanaian authorities for “prioritising peace and fostering trust” in the electoral process.
He also urged the judiciary to priotise integrity if there were electoral issues that required judicial attention.
BY AGNES OWUSU
