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The National Peace Council (NPC) has expressed dissatisfaction at recent post-elections developments that have seen the two major political parties call results for their presidential candidates. The Council wants the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in particular to retract its 54.91 per cent victory claim for its flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The main opposition party, in a seeming reaction to an earlier statement released by the camp of John Dramani Mahama, claimed Nana Akufo-Addo is in a commanding lead with 80 per cent of votes collated by them so far. But speaking on TV3 on Thursday dawn, National President of NPC Reverend Professor Emmanuel Kwaku Asante said what the two parties have done “is a recipe for concern”. The immediate past Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana was categorical in pointing out that it is only the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) that is constitutionally mandated to declare poll results. “It is premature for any party to declare results,” he emphasized, adding that a caveat should have been even given that the results were provisional.

“I would have thought that [NPP] will come back to say that what [they] have said are provisional results.” He said the two parties should not mar an election that has been conducted generally peacefully. “I am pleading for calm in this nation. What has happened is very unfortunate,” he said.

He said no individual or group should act in a manner that will jeopardize the peace of the nation. “Let us not jeopardise the peaceful elections that we have had. Let us not be provoked to do anything that will undermine the peace.” He advised all to be circumspect in any pronouncement in this period and try to help maintain the peace the country has enjoyed over the past years.