The former United Nations Envoy to West Africa and the Sahel Region, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, advised Ghanaians to be cautious regarding the divisive religious and ethnic sentiments that are surfacing in anticipation of the 2024 general election.

He stated, “The commitment to the betterment of our country is a collective responsibility and must transcend political, religious, and ethnic boundaries.

"Unfortunately, we are seeing some divisive tendencies in our society, and we must all be careful about them, especially when we have elections in 2024. When it comes to election year, all our demons come out."

He delivered these comments during the "Empowering Citizens and Enriching Nation-Building" forum organized by Star Ghana, held at the British Council in Accra on Friday.

Dr. Chambas emphasized that the selection of the country's leaders should surpass religious and ethnic factors, stressing that citizens should gauge political parties based on their messages, policy suggestions, and strategies for managing the nation's affairs.

He encouraged both citizens and political parties to prioritize issue-based campaigning for the upcoming 2024 general election.

"So please let us focus on messages when we are choosing our leaders in this country,” he emphasised.

He highlighted that despite Ghana's considerable strides in democracy, there are persistent challenges hindering the nation from fully reaping the benefits of this progress.