Let’s put Ghana first in election 2016 – EC boss

The chairperson of the Electoral Commission has advised Ghanaians to “put Ghana first” in everything they do in 2016, which is an election year.

Mrs Charlotte Osei admonished Ghanaians to safeguard the peace and stability Ghana is enjoying now, and must not allow politics to derail it.

“We have only one country – Ghana – and in everything we do we must put Ghana first,” Mrs Osei, who is the first woman electoral commissioner in Ghana, told sit-in host Nana Aba Anamoah on the Morning Starr.

She emphasised her outfit is poised to organise a credible election come November 7 as incumbent President John Mahama go head to head with his main contender and opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo once again.

Mahama is eyeing a second term, having beaten the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer in the 2012 general elections.

Mrs Osei noted elections are just “a contest” hence voters and politicians must not see it as a life and death affair. Likening elections to football, she said “there will always be losers and winners” hence advised all sides to accept the outcome of the 2016 polls.

“We come to realisation that peace and stability is more important to us. We can’t separate our peace to that of the nation. We must all pray for this nation and put it first and realise that an election is just a contest and no point in throwing away our peace and stability. We have to get to that realisation and I know that when it comes to the crunch we’ll do what is right. We are committed to a peaceful election,” Mrs Osei assured Ghanaians.

She added: “Everyone has a role to play and we’ll engage everyone including women and political parties and the media. We hope to call on all to collaborate.”

Ghana is going into its seventh general polls under the Fourth Republic on November 7, 2016.