Dear John Dramani Mahama,

If the election does not go your way, don't allow yourself to be pushed to soil your reputation as an extremely tolerant and peaceful leader.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that you should condone injustice in order to impress others.

A man, our wise elders say, may swallow phlegm for the fear of offending others, but no sane man swallows poison for the same reason.

So I'm not saying you should allow yourself to be cheated in order to keep the image of peace and tolerance.

If you have reasonable suspicions of electoral fraud and a reasonable amount of evidence to back the suspicions, channel them to the appropriate quarters.

Those quarters, no matter how flawed they may be, are certainly better than violence.

Violence is like a bad rain. It does not fall on the roof of only your enemy.

There is 2024. You will still be younger than the age of your main contender when he first won.

You have put up an impressive and admirable fight in this race. There are lessons in this election for you. Your opponents. And Ghanaians.

A man does not burn his barn because his wife has starved him of food. There is tomorrow, JM.

And you stand a very good chance of winning the next election with ease. Think about this. Think about the future. And the generations that look up to you.

Think about Ghana. The lion and the antelope may have their differences, but neither of them would set the forest that shelters them ablaze.

Think about this before your next speech. Step. Or action.

Your friend,

Manasseh Azure Awuni.