The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Ms Kathleen Addy, has appealed to residents of Ablekuma North and Ghanaians across the country to remain calm and respect the outcome of the 2024 parliamentary election results when officially announced by the Electoral Commission (EC).
Addressing a press briefing organised by the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, May 8, Ms Addy underscored the need for all citizens to uphold the principles of democracy, regardless of the election outcome.
“My message is to the people of Ghana, particularly the people of Ablekuma North, just to say that we all know that we are in a democracy and elections are part of the democratic culture and system. In every election, there is a winner and there is a loser; there is no middle ground,” she said.
She added, “Even in the general election, we had a winner and we had a loser, so in this election, I want to urge the people of Ghana, particularly the people of Ablekuma North, to accept the result (when) declared, this is the way to build democracy”.
Tensions have emerged in the constituency as both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have declared victory for their respective candidates.
The disputed outcome has heightened anxiety in the area, prompting the EC to organise a recount, but results are yet to be announced.
Ms. Addy urged political actors and their supporters to refrain from making premature declarations or inciting tension, reminding all parties that elections are not a do-or-die affair.
“We live to fight another day, it’s not the end of the world to lose and it’s certainly not the end of the world to win. Let’s keep that perspective as we bring this important exercise to a close,” she said.
The Electoral Commission is expected to announce the official parliamentary results for Ablekuma North in the coming days.