We Won’t Sign Any Peace Declaration Ahead Of 2024 Elections – Asiedu Nketia

The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has stated that the party will not be participating in any peace declaration agreements as the country approaches its next general election. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, he voiced doubts regarding the effectiveness of such pacts, pointing to past experiences where peace agreements have failed to prevent election-related violence.

“Signing a peace declaration means nothing to the party because previous agreements have produced no significant results,” said Asiedu Nketia. He emphasized that preventing violence requires a proactive approach rather than relying on symbolic gestures like peace declarations. According to him, if potential sources of unrest are not addressed early, signing declarations will do little to stop violence from erupting.

Over the past year, the NDC Chairman has repeatedly stressed the importance of eliminating the conditions that lead to violence in elections. He noted that focusing on peace agreements only after tensions have already risen is misguided and often comes too late.

“At every stage where issues arise, I urge those who will later call for peace declarations to act immediately and prevent the situation from escalating. If you let these problems fester, a peace football match or a ceremonial signing will not bring about peaceful elections. We tried all this and more in 2020,” he remarked.

Asiedu Nketia, widely known as General Mosquito, criticized the role of institutions such as the Council of State and the Peace Council in previous peace efforts, pointing out that despite their involvement, the 2020 elections still witnessed significant violence. The NDC’s rejection of the 2020 election results, which they deemed “flawed,” was accompanied by claims of state security forces being used to intimidate voters in their strongholds.

The chairman also expressed concerns about reports of illegal recruitment into the security services, which he fears could fuel further instability. “This is already brewing,” he warned.

During the 2020 elections, the National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF) documented five deaths and 61 instances of election-related violence, including incidents involving gunshots. Despite previous peace declarations, the persistence of violence underscores Asiedu Nketia’s call for addressing underlying issues rather than relying on symbolic agreements.

In his view, the focus should shift to dismantling the factors that contribute to electoral violence to ensure a genuinely peaceful election.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com