The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has called on all stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission (EC), to ensure that the Presidential and Parliamentary elections on December 7 2024, are conducted freely and fairly.
Speaking at a public lecture at Christian Service University in Kumasi during the university’s 50th anniversary, Mahama highlighted the theme “Sustainability of Democracy in Africa: The Ghanaian Experience,” the former President said, “Disputed elections, as witnessed in other African countries, have triggered civil unrest resulting in loss of human lives. So, elections have the potential to disrupt peace, which is why we emphasize that elections must be transparent, free, and fair.”
Mahama underscored the necessity of having an impartial electoral arbitrator who is fair, transparent, and neutral.
He cited the example of Dr. Afari Gyan, a highly respected former electoral commissioner, and Charlotte Osei, whom he appointed.
Despite her appointment by him, Mahama noted, he lost the election she supervised, which NPP considered the fairest election ever conducted.
Mahama voiced concerns about the Electoral Commission’s performance in the 2020 elections, asserting that many issues arose, which should be avoided in future elections.
He accused the current government of removing three electoral commissioners under false pretenses and replacing them with individuals known for their NPP affiliations.
He stressed the importance of appointing commissioners who are not openly affiliated with any political party, criticizing the current administration for not adhering to this principle.
Mahama pointed out that individuals with strong ties to TESCON, the NPP’s student wing, now serve as electoral commissioners, raising questions about their neutrality.
Mahama also accused the Electoral Commission of bias against the NDC, citing a commissioner’s statement that the NDC is the most serious threat to Ghana’s democracy. He questioned how such a person could conduct a free and fair election.
“There were several issues raised and reiterated about the Electoral Commission not being as neutral 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.
“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. Who do you expect such a person to be neutral in his work?” he asked.
Despite these challenges, Mahama reiterated that the NDC is not seeking to have the elections rigged in their favor.
“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.”
“We are just asking them to conduct a free and fair election for the country and let the will of Ghanaians prevail. That’s all we are looking for. But as 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,” Mahama assured.
Election 2024: This time, we are entering the ring with our own referee – John Mahama. #ElectionHQ pic.twitter.com/5FTjF1CPQW
— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) June 20, 2024