Mahama leads NDC to receive pre-election assessment team led by Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan.

The leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by its Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama, on Monday, met with a delegation from the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), which is on a pre-elections assessment visit to Ghana ahead of the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Forum, led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, has been focused on reducing tension in the subregion, especially during elections.

Mr Mahama, who has been working with the Forum and led the mission to the recent Nigerian elections, lauded the initiative to establish the WAEF in his welcome remarks, noting the importance of ensuring credible elections and preventing conflict in the subregion.

“I know how useful this initiative is… we are happy that a high-level delegation like this is here so we can go through some of the concerns we have as political parties.”

The NDC leader, who was accompanied by General Secretary Fifi Kwetey, Director of Elections & IT Dr Edward Omane Boamah, and Special Aide Joyce Bawah Mogtari, assured the delegation of his party’s commitment to a peaceful conduct of its campaign and participation in the process.

He also called for the needed collaboration and cooperation of all stakeholders, particularly the Electoral Commission.

“We all want a peaceful election, but a peaceful election is predicated on the groundwork and preparation done before the election. If we get everything right in the lead-up to the election, the election will be peaceful and successful.”

In his remarks, President Jonathan noted that most of the conflicts in countries within the subregion are related to elections, adding that establishing the West African Elders Forum in 2020 has been timely in helping to prevent rather than solve conflicts.

The former Nigerian President commended Ghana for holding relatively peaceful elections over the years and John Mahama and the NDC for running what he described as a smooth and clean campaign.

“Let me also commend you and your political party. So far, we have seen that it has been issue-based and no antagonising and we really want that approach to continue to the end of the election”, he noted.