The Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, has urged journalists to exercise professionalism and avoid spreading inaccurate information during the upcoming December 7 elections.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Abubakar emphasised the importance of media responsibility in ensuring a peaceful election process and sustaining Ghana’s democracy.
She called on media practitioners to refrain from sensationalism and spreading fake news that could incite violence or unrest.
Mrs. Abubakar also urged politicians to be mindful of their language and “do what is legally expected of them” throughout the electoral process.
The Minister expressed satisfaction with the direction of the current election campaign, noting that it has shifted to being more issue-based compared to previous years.
She encouraged voters to participate in the election and trust the mandated electoral bodies to ensure a free and fair process.
Mrs. Abubakar stated, “It should not be based on inducement or anything or inserting yourself because of your personal, political parochial interests and saying because this is where I think the election should go, so let me incite, let me embellish, let me lie. I should also not perpetuate falsehoods so that they will be sweet for my political party and sour for the other party. That we should not do. For us politicians, I think it is only about the quality of your argument and not to go and insult somebody to incite violence or anything of that sort. I will not do it and I cannot tell anyone to do it. Yours is to make sure your agents are vigilant and they are policing the process.”
She added, “These days it is a contest of ideas. People are raising arguments and trying their best to come up with policies that resonate with people. And I am excited that as we deal with more dialogue and less violence, our democracy is progressing. I’m excited that on Saturday we all are going to vote and trust the electoral commission as created by the Constitution and all the robust mechanisms put in place will a free and fair election. At the end of the day, there will always be a president for Ghana and there will be peace and cohesion.”
