Ghanaians troop to the polls today to elect their political representatives. It is a day to rejoice and celebrate our democracy, which has grown by heaps and bounds. The feeling is ecstatic, almost euphoric.
That we are holding elections again, is an unmistakable demonstration of the resilience of our democratic experiment, which I should proudly proclaim, is working and clicking on all cylinders, despite the numerous challenges.
Of course, the campaign season was marked by the vituperative and shameful utterances of our politicians. We can forgive their imprudence. After all, they are politicians and what politicians do best, is to hurl insults at each other all in a bid to curry favor with voters.
Going to the polls today is an opportunity to burnish our democratic credentials and we must not disappoint. The entire world is watching to see how we conduct ourselves, before, during and after the elections.
We should prove to regional and international observers that we are capable of pulling this elections off, too, successfully, much as we did in 2012, and before that in 2008, 1994 and 1992.
Yes, I understand there are some super trouble makers hell bent on disrupting today’s momentous event in the perverse hope that the public peace may be disturbed in the process.
But let us show these people that we are not dopes, let us tell them in plain terms that we are not gullible and we wont take the bait and plunge our dear nation into violence the depths of which we may never climb out from.
Ghanaians have a binary choice today, either to maintain the status quo or opt for a change. Making these choices are entirely the province of Ghanaian voters, it is their constitutionally guaranteed right.
And they must exercise these right forcefully today without prodding from politicians or from anyone else for that matter.
The day after the elections should see us come together as one nation with a common goal, building a pluralistic society that is tolerant of all views and is committed to the betterment of all its citizens.
All this means that whoever is declared the winner of the presidential elections would have a huge responsibility thrust on his shoulders.
He will have the enviable task of healing the wounds that were opened by the divisiveness of the campaign. Anything short of that will amount to a betrayal of monstrous proportions.
Today’s event is crucial to our overall development as a nation. So, let us embrace it wholeheartedly.
