EC’s incompetent handling of Dec 7 poll leaves a sour taste – Mahama tells clergy

Former President John Dramani Mahama has told the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) that the manner in which the 2020 elections were handled by the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission (EC) leaves a sour taste in the mouth of many Ghanaians.

Mr Mahama said the elections were characterized by alleged vote manipulations in favor of the incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He said these in a statement on Tuesday December 22  while thanking the GPCC for recognizing the demonstrations by supporters of the NDC who are against the results of the polls as announced by the Chair of the Commission, Jean Mensa.

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He said “I commend the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) for the recognition of protests as an instrument of democratic expression.

“Elections can be emotive and the EC’s incompetent handling of the Dec 7 poll leaves a sour taste in the mouths of all patriotic citizens.

“It is important to hold the EC accountable to ensure that it purifies itself and rises again to be the leading electoral body on our continent, Africa.

“I still urge all who feel outraged by the EC’s conduct to manifest their displeasure in a manner that is peaceful.”

Mr Mahama stated earlier that Jean Mensa was incompetent in handling the just-ended presidential and parliamentary elections.

He said proper computation of the figures that were announced by the Commission that made President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the president-elect did not add up, hence the need to audit the numbers again.

“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 numbers to come to what the final number from the EC is,” Mr. Mahama who was the presidential candidate in the 2020 polls said in an interview with VOA News.

After the announcement of the results by the Chair of the Commission, Mr Mahama indicated that the party will not accept the results of the polls because in their view, the elections management body manipulated the figures in favour of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Addressing the nation on Thursday December 11, the presidential candidate of the NDC said “The facts and figures on the pink sheets available to us indicate that numerous steps have been taken to manipulate the elections in favour of the incumbent.

“This calls into question the credibility of one of our most important institutional pillars of democracy, the Electoral Commission.

“It is now obvious to many objective minds that the Commission and its chairperson have been used to manipulate results from the various constituencies and in that process seek to subvert the sovereign will of the Ghana people.”

He added “Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, final election results have always been declared within a 72hour period to allow for thorough and diligence collation.

“Surprisingly, this Electoral Commission chairperson announced quite suspiciously for reasons known to her a hurried 24hour deadline which as we all know could not and would not be met .

“Surprisingly, this Electoral Commission chairperson announced quite suspiciously for reasons known to her a hurried 24hour deadline which as we all know could not and would not be met .

“The Chairperson of the EC in less than 24 hours after her declaration has admitted that she made unacceptable errors which go to the heart of the entire electoral process and cast deep doubt on the credibility of the announced outcome.”

By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana