The difficulty with understanding the events that make history or shape the world  is the numerous interpretation given by scholars, experts , ordinary people and the nobodies.

One is unable to appreciate who has the facts and whose point of view embraces the reality of the moment .

A careful look at these views usually displays a human centred thinking; where concerns are usually raised as to what will happen to individuals,  communities and the world .

Hstorical event which brings division , hatred , pain , anger and resentment is managed through calls for unity and an effort to heal the broken hearted.

Where the event bring  success , it is occasioned with pomp and pagentary coupled with lavish posturing.

These two contrasting cycles if it’s  anything to go by,  points to one crucial aspect of  our social existence. Managing our expectation.

In 2008 Barrack Obama stunned the world and the republicans to occupy the oval office . To the world and most republicans, there was no way a black man could run and win the presidency.

In 2016 Donald Trump gave the world a rude awakening by winning an election which many didn’t see coming . The  expectation was that Hillary was going to win the elections and  occupy the oval office .

Brexit continues to serve as a reminder to “hardliners ” of the need to manage expectations. David Cameron ( then UK Prime minister ) resigned in the wake of the referendum which he lost .

Without a doubt this was an indicator of how far we could be wrecked if expectations are not managed.

But perhaps in the west and Europe, the price one pays in a political defeat only goes as far as resignation, a call for nationalism and a peaceful transition.

Whiles Most African democratic states pride themselves in bench marking every sector of their development/process with these regions , one area that is of a challenge to most African states is the emulation of a violence free election as depicted in the west and Europe .

Out of many scholarly thinking , two primary things account for election violence in Africa. And this is what Ghana must watch .

1. Clearly we need to *manage our expectation* to understand that campaign noises and images don’t validate a political party to be the victor before elections are held .

It must also be understood that your solidarity or an endorsement from other people for your party doesn’t mean you must win. What you also don’t know is the number of people endorsing other parties .

And who says an endorsement is a win? If we’ve not learnt anything at all, the just ended US Presidential election saw a large number of edorsement for Hillary Clinton. But what happened ?. She lost because of a silent majority who hid in the dark and came alive on election day.

2. The *non existence of an exit plan* should the political party or individual lose. This then means that you must fight tooth and nail to win at all cost. Usually No political party is rational at this level . This is where parties act beyond reasonably understandable levels thus plunging people, communities and the nation into an insecurity .

We must demand of their exit plan, scrutinise it and make it binding_

By: Nana Owusu Sekyere
_Security Analyst_