I won; I won’t let go …Mahama calls for probe

Former President John Dramani Mahama says he will accept the results of the December 7 elections only after an independent forensic audit is conducted to confirm the accuracy of the results.

According to the Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), the just-ended elections is the most incompetent elections Ghanaians have ever had.

“I think that [with] the incompetence the EC has shown, it will be useful for us to do a forensic audit of the EC’s own systems and the numbers to come to what the final number for the EC is, because as at now I don’t know what number they are going to gazette” he stated.

Mr. Mahama continued: “If an independent audit is done by the EC which shows I’ve lost, I would be the first to concede and walk away. But as long as that is not done, and I know that there was a deliberate attempt to subvert the will of the people in favour of the incumbent, it will be wrong for me, in terms of our democratic principles, to just leave it,” he argued.

Speaking in an interview with Voice of America (VOA), he stated that the 2020 elections as conducted by the Jean Mensa-led EC is far below the standard the Commission has attained over the past years.

“Everything about this election does not reach the standard that Ghana’s Electoral Commission has attained for itself. Ghana’s Electoral Commission is held in high esteem as one of the best Electoral Commissions. Unfortunately, in this election, she (Jean Mensa) can’t even get the results right; the declaration is all over the place,” he bemoaned.

The former President has rejected the results of the December 7 presidential elections, describing it as flawed and fictitious. According to the NDC, the EC rigged the elections for the incumbent and robbed the NDC of their victory.

Mr. Mahama insists that he bears the responsibility as a democrat and as the choice of the over 6 million Ghanaians who voted for him to uphold (Ghana’s) democracy and hold the EC to higher standards.

“The way they have conducted this election is a dent to our democratic credentials as a government. And so in my principles as a democrat, I cannot be seen sweeping it under the carpet and letting it go. I think that we must bring closure to this by seeing exactly where the issues are.

The EC on December 9, declared the incumbent President, Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), winner of the 2020 election polls, with 6,730,413 votes, representing 51.59% of the total valid ballots cast.

Mr. Mahama polled 6,214,889 votes, securing 47.36% of the total valid ballots cast.

This notwithstanding, the NDC has been insistent that it has in possession pink sheets to back its claims to have won the 2020 election polls.

Meanwhile, the women’s wing of the party in Kumasi are protesting the outcome of the 2020 election.

According to them, the general election was rigged in favour of the NPP, therefore, they will risk everything to see their flagbearer, John Mahama declared President-elect.

Speaking to the media, the Women’s Organiser, Dr Hanna Bissiw said; “If she (Jean Mensa) did the right thing, she would not have declared President Nana Addo as the President-elect.

“Our protest is to demand that the right thing be done in the just-ended elections.”

“After all, she came to make the declaration and came back to say she made mistakes so where did she cook the new numbers from, the additions and subtraction,” she said.

The visibly angry women who hit the streets of Kumasi yesterday said no intimidation from security services will cause them to rescind their decision.

“He (President Akufo-Addo) can unleash his army on us, he can unleash his police on us.”

“When he said all die be die, was he arrested? So now we quoting him, just as he said, all die be die,” she added.

The women alleged that Akufo-Addo is using the army against them and called on religious and international bodies to intervene.

Dr. Bissiw said “we are saying that the President should stop intimidating the people of Ghana, why are you using the army against us instead of the army defending the citizen against external forces”.

The women, clad in red and black marched from the party office at Amakom with placards through some principal streets and headed towards the regional office of the Electoral Commission (EC).

Regarding why the NDC have taken to protests instead of going to court, the women’s organiser indicated that the party is using various means.

“As women, we are hitting on the streets, those who have to deal with paper and the law are doing that,” she said.