Asiedu Nketia: punishment key to ending electoral violence
Calls for accountability over election-related violence have once again taken centre stage within Ghana’s political discourse, with the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, insisting that only firm legal consequences for offenders can break the cycle of violence that often accompanies elections.
His remarks, delivered during the party’s Thank You Tour in Tolon in the Northern Region, framed electoral violence not as an issue of political rhetoric or peace agreements, but as a failure of enforcement and prosecution.
Rather than focusing on prevention through dialogue, he argued that Ghana’s experience has shown a recurring pattern where violent incidents are condemned but rarely punished, allowing the behaviour to persist across election cycles.
He pointed to past election-related fatalities in areas such as Kasoa, Techiman and Tolon during the 2024 polls, saying the persistence of such cases reflects deeper institutional weaknesses.
In his view, recommendations from past investigative bodies have had little impact because they were not followed by decisive legal action.
“A commission of inquiry named people who should be punished, but nothing was done to them,” he stated.
That gap between identification and prosecution, he suggested, has weakened public trust in both peace initiatives and electoral oversight mechanisms.
Mr Asiedu Nketia also revisited his long-standing scepticism about political peace agreements, arguing that such commitments are ineffective if security and justice institutions do not act with resolve.
“If those responsible for preventing violence, arresting offenders and prosecuting them are not committed, then signatures alone cannot guarantee peace,” he said.
He maintained that accountability should not be treated as time-bound or politically convenient, insisting that justice for victims must continue long after elections are concluded.
“Violence has no expiry date,” he declared, adding that electoral outcomes should not shield perpetrators or reduce efforts to pursue justice.
“The fact that we have won the election should not stop us from pursuing justice for those who died in the course of the elections.”
At the same time, the NDC Chairman urged restraint among party supporters, warning against retaliation or internal actions that could damage the party’s cohesion and political strength.
He encouraged aggrieved supporters to pursue justice through lawful and institutional channels rather than personal or confrontational responses.
“The way to fight for justice is not to destroy your own party,” he said. “The way to fight for justice is to pursue those responsible through lawful means.”
Mr Asiedu Nketia also revealed that President John Dramani Mahama had instructed the Inspector-General of Police to provide regular updates on investigations into election-related murder cases.
He assured supporters that the party would continue to push security agencies to ensure that all outstanding cases are fully investigated and that accountability is not delayed or abandoned.
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