What Cardinal Turkson said to Bawumia, Mahama, Akufo-Addo ahead of 2024 elections

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences, has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and former President John Dramani Mahama to reflect on their interactions with Pope Francis as Ghana nears its December 7 general elections.

Speaking at the IDEG High-Level Forum on Thursday, October 10, 2024, Cardinal Turkson encouraged the three political figures, who have all previously met with Pope Francis, to allow the values they witnessed in the Pope to guide their actions during this critical time. 

He stressed that the lessons from those meetings, particularly the emphasis on peace, human dignity, and the rejection of conflict and hatred, should shape their leadership approach.

“The three leaders, President Akufo-Addo, Dr. Bawumia, and former President Mahama, have all visited Pope Francis. I urge them to reflect on the virtues they experienced during those encounters, especially the Pope’s dedication to peace, respect for human dignity, and the well-being of every individual,” citinewsroom.com quoted him to have said. 

He continued, “I invite our sitting president and the two main presidential candidates to take inspiration from their visits to the Vatican. 

"Let these experiences influence their leadership and decision-making, both for their respective parties and the nation, as God leads this country to its next leader,” he added.

AM/OGB

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