The Electoral Commission (EC) is under mounting pressure to uphold fairness and firmness, safeguarding its integrity and preserving the credibility of the upcoming Election 2024. The call comes as stakeholders emphasize the pivotal role the EC plays in maintaining the prevailing peace of the nation.

Prominent Reverend Ministers in the Sunyani Municipality underscore the pivotal role of the nation's electoral management body in ensuring the integrity of general elections. According to them, upholding principles of freedom, fairness, and transparency remains critical for consolidating the gains of the country's burgeoning democracy.

Conveying their counsel during separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), religious leaders led their congregations in Sunyani in night vigils to welcome the New Year. The men of God stressed the importance of electoral integrity as part of their guidance for the upcoming year.

They, however, commended the EC for its honesty and efficiency for successfully organising successive general elections which had helped to sustain the prevailing national peace, social and political stability.

“The destiny and future of the nation lay partly in the hands of the EC, and we expect the Commission to remain resolute and steadfast ahead of the Election 2024”, the Very Reverend Dr. Solomon Bruce, the Superintendent Minister and the Synod Secretary of the SunyaniMethodist Diocese stated.

He said the electorate also had an integral role to play if the 2024 general election would be incident-free and thus urged supporters of the political parties to be decorous in the electioneering and endeavour to make informed choices when they go to the ballot.

Very Rev. Dr. Bruce said Ghana required selfless and God-fearing leaders to transform and turn around the nation’s economic fortunes to facilitate accelerated national development.

He cautioned the youth not to allow themselves to be influenced by politicians who might approach and use them as tools to foment trouble in the campaigning period.

Apostle Ofori Baffour, the Founder of the Sunyani-based Unique Holy Fire of God Ministry commended Ghanaians for their respective contributions towards protecting the national peace in 2023, saying, “we have to do more to make the peace of the nation absolute in 2024”.

He called on the leadership of the political parties to ensure that their members and supporters eschewed all forms of lawlessness and violence as well as acts that could trigger political violence and social instability.

Apostle Baffour emphasised peaceful co-existence would facilitate the nation’s economic progress in 2024, and thereby make life better for all.

He said mostly children, people with disabilities and women bore the brunt of political violence and advised everybody to contribute to building and strengthening national peace and social cohesion.

Apostle Baffour described 2024 as a year of Ghana’s economic emancipation, but added, “we can’t achieve this in an atmosphere of violence and political turmoil”.

“Politicians must also learn to be faithful and godly,” Apostle Emmanuel Sakyi, the Founder and Leader of the Sunyani-based Word of Favour Ministry International advised.

They must also desist from using their political positions and portfolios to deceive the unsuspecting and innocent Ghanaians just to win their votes, instead of building a better Ghana for all.