Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has underscored the essential role of trust in ensuring free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections in Ghana.
Speaking at the annual Speaker’s seminal lecture at the University for Development Studies in Tamale, he emphasized that good governance and credible elections are not the sole responsibility of any single individual, institution, or group. Instead, they require the collective effort of all stakeholders working together to build and maintain trust.
The lecture, held under the theme “Working Together: Building Trust for a Free, Fair, Credible, and Peaceful Election: The Role of Stakeholders,” saw Speaker Bagbin highlight the diminishing presence of trust in society. He warned that without this key ingredient, achieving the electoral integrity that Ghana aspires to would be impossible.
“We cannot achieve free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections without trust,” he stated, urging all stakeholders—citizens, institutions, and political actors alike—to collaborate closely and foster trust within and among state institutions.
The event featured contributions from prominent figures, including security consultant Prof. Emmanuel Kwesi Anning, Mr. Kofi Bentil of IMANI Africa, and Mr. Samuel Tettey of the Electoral Commission.
The gathering brought together a wide range of participants, such as chiefs, academics, religious leaders, civil society organizations, political parties, local government officials, security services, students, and youth groups, all focused on the importance of trust in achieving successful elections in Ghana.