2020 Presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that his decision to contest the presidential election result in court is to ensure all doubts about the declaration are removed.
According to him, he wants the good people of Ghana to be assured the country’s elections are free, fair and safe and that Ghanaians do not have to settle for a process that leaves people confused, and with more questions than answers.
Former President John Dramani Mahama said this on Wednesday 30th December 2020 when he addressed the nation why he decided to petition the Supreme Court on the 2020 presidential election result as declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).
He indicated that as a former president of the Republic he knows what it is to act in the interest of peace and has always done so without reservation or hesitation.
He said, “I know what it is to contest an election and to have the good people of this country choose my opponent to serve as their next president. I know what it is to concede. I have done so before.”
“In 2016 when the election was not called in my favour, I conceded. I conceded in a congratulatory call to my opponent. And then, not long after that, I conceded in a public address to the good people of Ghana.”
“I conceded not simply in the interest of peace and democracy, but because I respect the will of the people. I did then, and I do now.”
“So, when I say that I will not concede this election, please know that I have not taken this decision lightly; understand that it is not because of a desire for power, but because of a dedication to principle and a commitment to democracy.”
Mr. Mahama indicated that based on the irregular and inconsistent results that were reported, he has reason to doubt that the 2020 election was free, or fair, or transparent. He stressed that without those fundamental pillars in place, how can anyone be sure that the results announced truly represent the will of the people?
He assured that he also wants a Ghana where institutions of state can be held to account and where Ghanaians can stand on principle and demand transparency without the risk of losing their lives.
“When people lose their lives—as seven people did—in the course of our elections, we are moving backwards not forward; we are unraveling the very fabric of our democracy; we are risking the loss of three decades worth of progress.”
“When today we see armed military and militia in our collation centres and election outcomes declared at the point of a gun, for us who have witnessed our country’s journey through all its post-independence travails, we wonder if we have truly exorcised the ghosts of our torturous past,” he said,
Ghana, he said, must continue to be a nation in which young citizens have faith in the institutions, trust the rule of law, and rely on the presence of peace because there is justice.
“Ghana must be a country where we citizens know and believe, without any doubt whatsoever, that the way forward is determined by the will of the Ghanaian people. And that we can hold our institutions of state accountable and guarantee that they work in favour of the national interest and not in the interest of the administration or person in power.”
“That is what I want,” he added.
The former President stressed this is why he is challenging the declaration of the results of the December 7, 2020 Presidential Election made by Mrs. Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.
He stated that he has been compelled to do this because of the Commission’s clear failure to act in accordance with the Constitution.