Some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have warned Vice President Dr Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia to desist from using religion and tribalism as political weapons to destabilize the country.
The CSOs including Community Focus Foundation Ghana (CFF-Ghana) and Democratic Credentials Network among other Civil Society Organizations under their #Safeguarding Our Democracy Initiative# made this statement known at a press conference addressed by Mr. Richard Kasu, the Executive Director of CFF-Ghana in Accra on Monday, February 26, 2024.
They observed that some of the Vice president’s ardent followers are using a divisive political strategy by trying to exploit religion and tribalism for political gain. They said that this is dangerous for Ghana’s democracy and political stability, and urged the vice president to dissociate himself from such practices and promote national unity and cohesion.
They cited the example of Ali Suraj, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who was captured on video urging Muslims to vote for Bawumia because of his religious affiliation.
They condemned this act of religious bigotry and said that Ghanaians should not vote for anyone based on their tribe or religion, but rather on their integrity, vision, credibility, honesty, and competence.
They also expressed their concern about the persistent conflicts in some African countries due to religious and tribal differences and said that Ghana should not fall into the same trap.
They called on the peace council, National Chief Imam, and the Christian Council among other relevant stakeholders to ensure religious politics is not used to destabilize Ghana ahead of the 2024 elections.
