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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama has raised major concerns urging various stakeholders in the country, primarily, the Electoral Commission, to make sure the December 7th, 2024 general Presidential and Parliamentary polls become free and fair. As part of his delivery in a public lecture at Christian Service University in Kumasi University’s 50th-anniversary celebration themed “Sustainability of Democracy in Africa:
The former President alleged that “Disputed elections, which has become a rampant activity in several African countries lately, results in civil unrest leading to loss of lives and properties. So, elections can disrupt public peace if not free, fair, and transparent”
The former President further emphasized that if elections can be free and fair, there ought to be an independent arbitrator who would not divulge any partisan interest and would be fair, transparent, and unbiased to any political party.
John Mahama said, the former EC boss “ Dr. Afari Gyan was the electoral commissioner with several deputies, and he conducted several elections. Till today, Dr. Afari Gyan is respected as one of the best electoral commissioners in the whole of Africa. Charlotte Osei was appointed by me as the electoral commissioner, yet in the elections that she supervised, I lost. This points to the need for fairness and non-partisanship. Up till today, the NPP describes the election as the best and fairest election that has ever been held.”
The 2020 flag bearer of the NDC pointed to the fact accusing the Electoral Commission of nothing but stressing that in the 2020 general elections, many things went wrong on the side of the Electoral Commission, which must be repeated in the 2024 elections.
“There were many issues raised and reiterated about the Electoral Commission not being as neutral and independent as expected. Indeed, it must be true that this government concocted reasons to remove three electoral commissioners and replaced them with people of their choice who are known for their NPP credentials,” he added.
The National Democratic Congress Flagbearer went on to further say though the has the President responsibility to appoint an EC chair, the President must ensure that the appointed people are not known to to have an affilition to any political party, but this President doesnt care.
“People who were patrons of TESCON are today sitting as electoral commissioners. If you go to the Bono region and ask about one of the deputy commissioners, Appiagyei, he was their elections director, IT director, and a communication member. How do you expect such a person to be neutral in his work?” He stated.
In Response to the day to day admistrion of the EC, the Former President accused the EC, lead by Jane Mensah of not being fair being bais towards the NDC.
“This Electoral Commission has demonstrated that the commissioner cannot be neutral in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. A commissioner said the NDC is the most serious existential threat to Ghana’s democracy, and he is still a commissioner. How do you expect somebody like that to conduct a free and fair election? So, despite the adversity, the Electoral Commission will do its best to prove me wrong in this election.”
After Several justifications of his asertions, the EX President Of Ghana said, He and the NDC are not asking the Electoral Commission to rig the elections for NPP.
“We are only asking for free and fair election for the country and let the will of Ghanaians prevail. That’s all we are looking for.He assured making reference to the Former world Champion Azumagh Nelson “But Azumah Nelson said, this time we are going into the elections with our own referee. We will knock down the NPP to the level that the Electoral Commission can never overturn the results for the NPP,”
