The Christian Council has charged the Electoral Commission to be fair and firm in addressing complaints of cheating during the December elections.

General Secretary of the Council, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, said this in a peace message to the nation ahead of the general elections, which is 27 days away.

He said the EC, along with all state institutions that have been put in place to tackle election-related violence, must take up that responsibility with a firm focus.

“We expect the EC to be very firm and fair in addressing all matters of cheating and make sure that at the end of the day we are going to get a free, fair and very credible election,” he said.

The December 7 election is tipped to be the fiercest since 1992 as the New Patriotic Party’s Nana Akufo-Addo makes a third attempt to beat the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei

The message by the Christian Council Ghana comes the same day election-related violence struck hotspot in Accra.

Police on Wednesday launched an investigation into alleged claims of physical assault meted out to NPP Parliamentary candidate for Odododiodoo, Nii Lante Bannerman, by the incumbent MP and sports minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye.

A scuffle is said to have ensued between the supporters of the two parties on Tuesday night that left some supporters of the parties wounded.

The message from the Peace Council also urged security agencies to be on high alert against any violence before, during and after the elections.