IDEG boss: John Mahama is damaging his international reputation

Former President John Dramani Mahama is destroying his international standing following his refusal to accept defeat after the December 7 elections and also failing to indicate whether or not he will go to court to seek redress, Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), has said.

Dr Aketwey explained during an interview on Saturday that Mr Mahama was able to build a good image for himself within the international community when he accepted the results of the 2016 elections and also helped the Gambia and other West African countries to deal with issues affecting elections and outcomes and acceptance.

But, in his view, the conduct of Mr Mahama after the 2020 elections is eroding all these gains.

He indicated that “the call on members of the NDC to demonstrate must be recognized and respected but it also has to be exercised within the law so that the Police will provide them with the protection they need and agent provocateurs won’t get in and so on.”

“In demonstrations, you always have people who may not even be related to the NDC getting in to cause havoc. That is what I mean by the agents of provocation who might get in and create all sort of problems. They might come from vigilantes, so you stop going onto the streets.

“I think at this stage, from what I am gathering the demonstration without notice to the police and the reactions and the constant refusal or the delay in saying, we are going to court and calling your members out onto the streets especially after you sign a peace pact I think is damaging,” he said.

Reputation

He added that Mr Mahama’s action is damaging to his standing as a former President, especially because in 2016 he conceded and in spite of all his reservations, he led ECOWAS to go to the Gambia to deal with issues affecting elections and outcomes and acceptance.

“He was very critical in Burkina Faso when the army intervened and he was highly commended for that. Based on that stance, his international standing as a man who in spite of everything would hold on to the democratic principles, peace and stability, he has been leading one mission after the other.

“So this time has confused many. There have been calls from friends who are saying what has led to this? This is the man we looked up to,” he added.