Bishop urges ‘restraint’ in Ghana

The Bishop of Wiawso, in the Church of the Province of West Africa, has called for Ghanaians to show “restraint” as the country’s Supreme Court prepares to rule on a petition to overturn the results of last December’s presidential election.

The opposition New Patriotic Party boycotted the installation of former vice-president John Dramani Mahama earlier this year, claiming he won the election fraudulently.

Mahama won 5,574,761 (50.7 per cent) of the votes, compared to the NPP’s candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, who won 5,248,898 (47.7 per cent). The election was caused by the death of sitting president John Atta Mills last July.

Ghana’s Supreme Court is expected to hear final arguments on Wednesday (31 July) in the challenge brought by the NPP; and a decision is expected next month.

The Bishop of Wiawso, the Rt Revd Abraham Kobina Ackah, said Ghanaians should “be prepared to accept the outcome of the verdict in good faith so that Ghana’s democracy will be further deepened to sustain the relative peace and stability we are enjoying at the moment”.

Speaking during the first session of the third synod, Bishop Ackah said he detected a “glimpse of hope”, and said: “I am appealing to all the factions to press on for ultimate peace”.