Former President and National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, has emphasized that despite appointing Charlotte Osei as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission to oversee elections, he still faced electoral defeat.
Mahama made these remarks during a public lecture at the Christian Service University in Kumasi, part of the university’s 50th-anniversary celebrations.
He urged all stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission, to ensure elections are conducted freely and fairly.
“Charlotte Osei was appointed by me as the electoral commissioner, yet 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.”
“Dr. Afari Gyan was the electoral commissioner with several deputies, and he conducted several elections. Up till today, Dr. Afari Gyan is respected as one of the best electoral commissioners in the whole of Africa,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of impartial oversight, Mahama stressed the need for an unbiased individual who treats all political parties equally, citing examples like Dr. Afari Gyan’s respected tenure as Electoral Commissioner (EC).
He expressed skepticism about the current Electoral Commission led by Jean Mensa, stating that the NDC intends to participate in the 2024 elections with their own “referee” due to lack of trust in the commission.
Mahama affirmed their determination to prevail over the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and ensure election results remain unaltered.
He said “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,” kasapafmonline.com quotes Mahama to have said.