The Minority caucus in Parliament yesterday protested what they believe is a “stolen election verdict” and to “mourn the death of Ghana’s democracy”
by wearing black and red attire.
The opposition NDC has indicated it was unwilling to accept the “fictionalised” and “flawed”results of the December 7 presidential election.
The Electoral Commission (EC) on December 9, 2020, declared President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo winner of the presidential race, having polled 6,730,413 votes, representing 51.595 per cent of valid votes cast, to ward off challenge from his closest contender, former President Mahama, who had 6,214,889 votes, representing 47.366 per cent.
After the declaration, the Commission, in a statement corrected the total valid votes cast from 13,434,574 to 13,119,460, but said that did not change the percentages stated for each candidate and the declaration made by the EC Chairperson.
On the parliamentary front, the EC said the NPP had won 137 seats and NDC 136 seats in the 275-member House with an independent Member of Parliament (MP), and one seat pending.
The NDC, however, maintains it has won at least 138 seats to form the majority caucus of the next parliament, scheduled to be sworn-in on January 7, 2021.
Speaking in an interview with journalists yesterday, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee and MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the opposition party was gearing up to form the next majority in the House.
“We have our candidate for Speaker, we have our candidate for first deputy speaker and we have our candidates to chair the various Committees of the House. We will not accept anything short of a majority for the NDC,” he said.
According to Mr Ablakwa, who was re-elected, the NDC would not accept the election results because it was an attack on the sovereign will of the electorate and undermined Ghana’s credentials as beacon of democracy on the African continent.
He said “we want that to be very clear that is why we are adorned in black suits to mourn the state of Ghana’s democracy. We have an electoral commissioner who keeps changing figures and as we speak, we do not know what figure she is working with or going to gazette”.
But, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, the outgoing NPP MP for Adentan, said the NDC must learn governance lessons from the NPP and head to the court to challenge the results as the party did when it felt cheated at the polls in 2012.
That decision, Mr Asamoa said helped the NPP to win the 2016 elections with resounding margins because the electorate recognised the value of using laid down channels to seek redress and was rewarded.
He said “Now, what is stopping my colleagues from the other side from emulating our example by resorting to the Supreme Court if they have any doubt? The NDC must produce data that demonstrates that they have won an election since you do not win an election with your mouth.”
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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