2024 polls: There’s no need to perform this sacred function with violence — Franklin Cudjoe

Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has urged Ghanaians to exercise their voting rights peacefully in the upcoming 2024 general elections.

He emphasised that the democratic process should be devoid of violence, calling on voters to uphold the sanctity of the electoral exercise.

In a Facebook post on Monday, December 2, Mr. Cudjoe described elections as an opportunity to shape the country’s future, stressing that voters should focus on making informed choices.

“Elections are about making choices for progress. Simply cast your vote for the party or individual you believe shares your vision for respect, truth, owning up for failure, civility, progress, and a predictable future,” he stated.

“There is no need to perform this sacred function with violence,” Mr. Cudjoe emphasised.

He further called on Ghanaians to reject any attempts to incite chaos and instead channel their energy into holding leaders accountable and making decisions that reflect their aspirations for a better nation.

Mr. Cudjoe also advised voters not to sell their votes for material gifts or temporary gains, highlighting the long-term consequences of such actions.

“You must under no circumstance sell your vote for pittance, be it for a car, a house, a bag of salt, cassava farrine, rice, because your life and choice are worth more than these,” he said.

“Never sell yourself for a pot of gold. Be the gold from whom all the glittering must light the path of darkness, despondency, poverty, and disease,” he added.

He encouraged voters to demand accountability from politicians, asking critical questions about how their policies would ensure sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment.

“Please demand from the buyer of your conscience what measures he will put in place to ensure a constant flow of these freebies to the critically disabled and, more crucially, how his activities can put money in your pocket to buy the very goods, health, insurance, your future, and those of your relatives,” he urged.