A Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr John Osae-Kwapong, has issued a stern call for political leaders to prioritise peace and democratic maturity, warning that Ghana’s elections must never descend into violence.

His comments follow the recent Ablekuma North parliamentary re-run in 19 disputed polling stations, which was marred by chaotic scenes, leaving six people injured and the electoral process temporarily disrupted.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show, Dr Osae-Kwapong urged leaders of Ghana’s two main political parties to move beyond historical grievances and stop trading blame over past electoral incidents.

“Elections should not degenerate into violence, and if our two main political parties are going to keep drawing us back into who did what, when, and how in some past election, then unfortunately I get afraid that this will continue,” he cautioned.

He stressed the need for a new approach, stating, “There has to come a point where leaders in both parties should be able to rise up and say okay, enough is enough, we need to chart a new path forward.”

Dr Osae-Kwapong also highlighted the fundamental purpose of elections in a democracy, emphasising that the electoral process should not lead to injury or loss of life.

“This is an election; we don’t have to kill, beat each other over elections. Yes, we always say that elections have consequences, but these are not the kinds of consequences that we should be having as a result of elections,” he noted.

He concluded with a call for calm, civility, and respect for democratic principles: “I mean, what is so difficult about going to vote, going home, coming back to watch the count, have the winner declared, going home and celebrating your victory? It shouldn’t degenerate into some of these unfortunate scenes.”

His remarks add to growing concerns from civil society over the rising incidents of electoral violence in Ghana’s democratic process.