Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor
Ghana’s two former presidents, Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufour, have added their voices to the concerns raised by the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the outcome of the December 7 general elections.
The two statesmen made this known to the Chairman of the African Union and Benin Republic President, Thomas Yayi Boni on his mediatory trip to Ghana on Monday.
“Much as I am happy that President Mahama has won, I think the complaints that have been made by the opposition party-the NPP, must be taken seriously,” ex-President Rawlings told President Boni when the latter paid him a courtesy call in his Ridge office.
“It is our responsibility to investigate everything there.
“The government must urge them on to make sure everything is investigated right down to the last bit, so that the public is told what the situation is or must have been,” Mr. Rawlings said.
Former President Kufour however laid the blame of the impasse at the doorstep of the Electoral Commission (EC), indicating that the electoral process was flawed right from voting day to the point of declaration.
“After using the state’s money unaccountably, if there is any trouble, it’s the Electoral Commission; it’s not the politician. If we want peace on the continent, we want real progress, then institutions like the Electoral Commission; they should become a people’s institution; the institution should be accountable. I believe the constitution of Ghana enjoins the Electoral Commissioner to be accountable to the people of Ghana,” he stated
The NPP is blaming officials of the EC for allegedly actively colluding with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to rig the presidential elections in favour of its candidate, John Dramani Mahama.
The NPP has issued documentary evidence showing discrepancies between actual election results recorded at the constituencies and what was declared by the EC boss, Dr. Afari-Gyan.
In the evidence provided by the NPP, several constituencies saw figures massaged to favour President Mahama.
For instance, evidence from records cited by DAILY GUIDE from 13 constituencies saw about 88, 000 additional votes added to President Mahama’s actual results.
Speaking to the Chairman of the African Union, President Kufour stated, “The real truth of the situation here, I believe, is with the Electoral Commission. I don’t blame the politicians whether of my party or the President’s party; I don’t blame them. The Electoral Commission of Ghana over the past year or two has behaved as if it’s above the constitution itself that created it. It’s not so. It has done so many things that need to be looked into.”
Ex-President Rawlings recounted similar electoral tampering in past elections. “Similar things were done in our time, we complained without providing any evidence. It happened in 2004, and when we finally won in 2008, we could have investigated but we did not.”
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