Former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan has expressed his admiration for the robust security arrangements around Ghana’s ongoing general election.
“I’m quite impressed with the security arrangement and what they are doing,” he said during a visit to the Ghana Police Headquarters on Saturday to assess security measures for the elections.
Mr. Jonathan, who is leading a delegation from the West African Elders Forum, lauded the professionalism of Ghana’s security agencies and their commitment to ensuring a peaceful electoral process.
“In terms of the elections, I was also at the Station of Situation Rooms. I got information across the country, and things are going reasonably well. Of course, there are a few incidents of violence leading to deaths, but these are two isolated cases,” he said.
He highlighted two unfortunate incidents—one fatality and an injury reported in the Northern Region and an injury in the Central Region.
“Ghana is a big country, and we only hope we don’t experience this in any other part of the country again. We pray these two are the only negative things associated with this election,” he added.
Mr. Jonathan expressed optimism about the overall conduct of the elections, describing reports from observers as encouraging.
“On average, I think the election will go well,” he noted.
Mr Jonathan emphasised the critical role of three institutions in ensuring successful elections: the Electoral Commission, the Judiciary, and the Security Agencies.
“Sometimes we blame the politicians, but they are like soccer players. There are referees who regulate the playing field — the Electoral Commission, the Security Agencies, and the Judiciary.”
“If these institutions do their work the way they should, the politicians will do the right thing. But if they compromise, the politicians will do whatever they like,” he explained.
Mr. Jonathan commended the leadership of Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police, for his proactive involvement in overseeing security operations during the elections.
“I must say I commend the leadership of the IGP. We met with him in October and again recently. Today, I was impressed that he is sitting in the Situation Room and will remain there until results are announced,” he said.
He praised the IGP’s hands-on approach, noting that it was rare for such a high-ranking officer to directly lead operations from the front.
“In this case, he is there himself. This shows that the police and security services are serious, and with that, people will behave well,” he observed.
Mr Jonathan thanked the Ghanaian authorities for their commitment to peace and security during the elections, emphasising that such measures bolstered trust in the electoral process.
GNA
