The National Peace Council (NPC) has advised the media against calling results of the 2024 election before official declaration is made by the Electoral Commission (EC).

According to the council, the authority to declare who wins an election has only been accorded to the Electoral Commission by law.

Thus, the media should consider it an unlawful act if they go ahead of the EC to make declarations.

“Don’t be in a hurry to declare results, the results are declared by the Electoral Commission. No one can go ahead and declare election results because by law, no radio or TV station is entitled to that. It’s the preserve of the Electoral Commissioner for the presidential and then the Returning Officers in the constituencies for the parliamentary,” Chairman of the Peace Council, Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, stated in an interview with the media.

He added that the council is working tirelessly to ensure peaceful polls come December as well as protect the country's democracy.

As part of their efforts in this regard, Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi explained that explained that the council had embarked on a number of activities since 2020, by engaging various stakeholders, including leadership of the political parties and state institutions, such as the EC, security agencies and the court, all geared towards a peaceful poll this year and ensure that the country’s democracy was sustained.

The chairman of the council further revealed that the council had set up a Political Party Trust Building Platform to promote dialogue and consensus building among the political parties and institutions of state to manage political tensions and violence ahead of election.

“The Peace Council has set up the political party code of conduct committee to monitor the activities of the parties,” he said.

This, he said, would “free the Council” and enable it to give more attention to the over 700 cases it was currently handling