Political leaders must not talk like warlords- Sheikh Shaibu

The spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, has urged political leaders to be cautious with their language and refrain from using rhetoric that could lead to violence in the lead-up to the December elections. He stated that inflammatory speeches by political leaders have the potential to spark unrest among their supporters.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, September 9, he said, “I have cautioned political actors who are so vituperative and vitriolic in the language that they use in preparing the minds of the supporters. When they speak, it’s like they are speaking to their supporters and preparing their minds. So they should be cautious not to talk like warlords.”

Sheikh Shaibu further noted that history has shown the consequences of such rhetoric and urged the current leaders to learn from past experiences by choosing their words carefully to prevent unnecessary escalation. In addition, he stated that the Electoral Commission must ensure that the elections are as free, fair, and transparent as possible.

We must all agree that the whole destiny of the nation lies on the lap of the EC during election years. So whatever needs to be done to give assurance to the electorate, to ensure the system is free and transparent, and to offer information that the people need to be able to feel comfortable all lies in the power of the EC.

“We want to encourage the EC to take all steps to ensure that whatever concerns have been raised must be addressed. Some require IPAC [Inter-party Advisory Committee] to be able to resolve them,” he said.

By: Emmanuella Sarfo-Ntow