NPP ready for peaceful handover and walk away- Henry Quartey

Henry Quartey, the interior minister, claims that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government was prepared to peacefully transfer power to the winner of the December 2024 presidential election.

“The President has given me a marching order, and the order is to ensure that this year’s elections, before, during and after goes on peacefully, and that, by the grace of God, I shall do”, Mr Quartey stated while speaking to journalists on Wednesday.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) expressed fears that the NPP was not prepared to transfer power, to which he responded with this comment.

The NDC has expressed concerns over recent remarks made by President Akufo-Addo, which they interpret as a hint that the politician is not prepared to transfer power. The party is confident that it will be re-elected into office in December.

Following a visit to Blue Skies Limited’s headquarters last week, President Akufo-Addo speaking to a group of NPP supporters at Doboro, in the Greater Accra Region said,“When the time is up for the voting, our job is simple. The person [John Mahama] I defeated [in 2016 and 2020 presidential elections], my work since I took over, seems not to please him. I cannot hand over power to such a person. He will destroy whatever we have done when he comes”.

In response, Interior Minister Henry Quartey stated that the NPP was committed to maintaining democratic values and promoting a peaceful handover of power, irrespective of the election’s result.

“What will profit us, as a political party, if we encourage violence. Who are we going to serve in this country? Are we going to serve the people who are dead and buried?”, he questioned.

Drawing on the party’s accomplishments, he expressed hope for another mandate, but he also emphasized that he was prepared to hand over power peacefully should the people decide differently.

“As a politician, as a political party, it is our hope, it is our wish, it is our belief that by the grace of God, the good people of this country, per the good work that we have done in infrastructure and in other interventions, they will give us another mandate.

“Perish the thought, and I say again, perish the thought, if they [voters] decide to give their mandate to somebody, we will handover peacefully and walk away, go to the drawing board and come back Insha Allah. But I know that the grace of God abounds and so we shall break the 8,” he said.