John Mahama
The flagbearer of the National Democratic congress, John Dramani Mahama, has reiterated his threat he and his party will not accept the results of the 2020 general elections, if it is not conducted according to their dictates.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday, Mr Mahama claimed that there had been numerous reports of missing names, gender mismatch and repeated ID numbers observed in the ongoing exhibition of the provisional voters’ register.
This, according to the former President, amounts to preparation for a flawed election, saying he will not accept the results of such an election.
“It matters very little whether the situation confronting us is a product of incompetence, or malice or both. Our demands are the same regardless. We want to see fairness, transparency and integrity in the process leading up to the elections, including in this exhibition exercise.
“We in the NDC have exhibited restraint at all times in this process. Even now we are committed to doing so. But let me serve notice, once again, that we will not accept the results of a flawed election,” he repeated his previous threat.
Previous threat
Mr Mahama’s recent threat follows a similar one he gave ahead of the compilation of the new voters’ register.
Addressing a gathering of party members and executives at the NDC headquarters, in July, Mr Mahama said he found it strange that the EC would be compiling a new voters’ register when the country would be heading to the polls in less than six months’ time.
“We are committed to a peaceful electoral process but let nobody be mistaken because we will not accept the result of a flawed election,” he threatened.
The former President, who heavily suffered a loss in the 2016 elections, against then candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, added that even though the NDC had participated and accepted every results of elections since the 4th Republic began, he and the party are not going to do so again.
“I wish to serve notice that we shall do all in our part to make sure that the country remains peaceful and that the electoral process proceeds smoothly. But, let nobody assume that we will accept the results of a flawed election,” Mr Mahama warned.
According to some election pundits, Mr Mahama’s constant threat to reject the 2020 election results can be seen as an attempt to find reasons for his likely defeat as well as prepare the minds of NDC supporters to resort to mayhem, should the election not go his way.
Poor campaign show
The former President and his running mate, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, announced this week that they had cut short their campaign tours of the Bono and Central regions, respectively, to address the issues arising out of the voters’ register exhibition.
But, according to the Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye, the NDC flagbearer suspended his campaign tour of the region due to poor showing, and had nothing to do with the exhibition.
“It must be noted empathically that the main reason for cutting short his tour in the region is that… after visiting Sunyani Odumasi around mid night, John Mahama was not encouraged about the turn out and for that matter, in a meeting held at Esubett with a section of his regional executives, he told them that, to avoid any disgrace, he has to return to Accra and come back later after a better mobilization has been done,” he said in a statement.
He added that “he was very furious with his regional executives after they failed to make proper preparations, by busing people from Bono East which is their strong hold, to the Bono Region.”
Others have suggested that the NDC, seeing the low turnout that greets the campaign of the flagbearer and, especially, the running mate, have resorted ‘to coil into their shells’ to devise new strategies to pull the crowd, hiding behind the exhibition exercise as an excuse.
No principles
Some have also questioned the former president’s constant attacks on the EC, saying it portrays him as a man who lacks principles.
Former President Mahama, in 2016, described as ‘absurd nonsense’ calls on the Electoral Commission by various political parties and civil society organisations ‘to do the right thing’.
“Some of them have gone to the extent of saying the Electoral Commission is preparing to rig the elections for John Mahama. What absurd nonsense!
“Ghana’s electoral system is one of the best in the world. Note my words, not in Africa, in the world, because it has inherent instruments for guaranteeing its integrity,” he said.
Source: dailystatesman.com.gh/Kwasi Frimpong
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