President Nana Akufo-Addo has reiterated his pledge to work with President-elect John Mahama’s team to guarantee a peaceful and smooth transfer of power within the next month.
The president, who was speaking alongside Mr. Mahama at the Jubilee House, said he was mandated by the Presidential Transition Act to facilitate the handing over within 24 hours of the official declaration by the Electoral Commission.
He reserved special recognition for Vice-President-elect, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman for her historic election as the first woman to occupy the nation’s second highest office.
President Akufo-Addo, who was hosting both sides of the transition team, remarked that it was in the country’s best interest for such a conversation and subsequent transition process to take place.
“First of all, to congratulate him on his remarkable victory and to wish him and his administration the very best of luck. We have, for the first time in our lives, elected a female vice-president of the country and that is a matter that should be celebrated by all of us.
“And then secondly, to assure him of my full support and that of my government over the transitional process and afterwards to make sure that his administration takes off in the best of conditions. It is in the interest of all of us as Ghanaians that that should happen and that is the reason why I brought him here,” he said at the seat of government.
The outgoing president said the transition set to take place, was a testament to Ghana’s status as a “functioning, democratic state” that held the rule of law in high regard.
Following his official recognition as president-elect, Mr. Akufo-Addo called Mr. Mahama to congratulate him and pledge his readiness to initiate the transition process.
The two men have subsequently named their members to serve on the transition team.
