The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Light Foundation (TLF), Sheikh Ali Abubakr Napari, has urged political actors in this year’s election to participate in the process without resorting to violence.

According to him, the peace of the country is paramount, and everyone must ensure it is sustained.

“We need a united Ghana to either reset or upgrade,” he said at a ceremony held by TLF in Accra to launch an initiative, "Sermon Guide on Peace".

This initiative aims to bring together religious and traditional leaders to preach peace in these crucial moments as Ghanaians prepare to go to the polls next week.

He also said, “The people of Ghana deserve nothing less than peace and stability. Let us not fail our country, and no one should disturb the peace we are currently enjoying as a nation.”

With all set to vote on December 7 this year to elect Members of Parliament and a president to form the next government, stakeholders, individuals, and organisations are intensifying calls to hold the election free from violence.

TLF’s Sermon Guide on Peace, according to Sheikh Napari, is a key contribution to the call for peace. It is organised by the foundation’s internally generated funds.

He said the election should serve as a platform to identify ideas that will enhance the development of Ghana, not to create unnecessary alarm.

“Elections are a contest of ideas, a contest of preferred solutions; there is no room for violence in this process,” he added. “The Light Foundation wishes to use this opportunity to call on all Ghanaians to work hard so that we can guarantee an atmosphere of peace, ensuring that together we uphold the rights of the marginalised and vulnerable groups in our society.”

The ceremony brought together traditional, Islamic, and Christian leaders who have agreed to the Sermon Guide on Peace and pledged to play their part in ensuring that peace prevails at all costs during the election.

In the 2016 and 2020 elections, TLF launched similar initiatives to campaign vigorously for a peaceful election, and the 2024 election is no exception on their calendar.

The National Peace Council earlier led the leaders of various political parties contesting in the race to sign a peace pact, a move that binds them to ensure they do not engage in or encourage actions that would deteriorate the peace of the country before, during, and after the polls.