Concede or go to court – Six presidential aspirants advise Mahama

Half of the presidential aspirants of the 2020 elections have entreated flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama to accept the results or seek redress in court.

Flagbearer of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga; People’s National Convention’s (PNC), David Apasera; Convention People’s Party’s (CPP), Ivor Greenstreet; Great Consolidated Popular Party’s (GCPP), Henry Herbert Lartey; the Liberal Party of Ghana’s (LPG), Kofi Akpaloo; and independent candidate, Kwame Asiedu; have jointly called on former President Mahama to pursue legal means to deal with his discontentment with the results.

The Electoral Commission (EC) pronounced President Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) winner of the December 7 polls with 6, 730, 587 or 51.302%.

Former President Mahama, on the other hand, had 6, 213, 182, or 47.359%.

The NPP won 137 seats while the NDC accumulated 136. There was one independent candidate with the Sene West results yet to be declared.

But the NDC insists that it won 140 seats and accused the EC of subverting the will of citizens by rigging the election for Mr Akufo-Addo.

Mr Mahama has also called for an independent audit of the results but the NPP has shot down the suggestions.

At a joint press conference on Wednesday, December 16, Mr Walker said: “We are calling on John Mahama that although his refusal to accept the result is democratic, we implore him and his followers to take democratic processes. Yes, protest is a form of the democratic process but it is indeterminate in the sense that you may not know what may happen during the demonstration”.

For his part, Mr Apasera noted, “We want Ghana to be free and fair. So we are making a call to all political party leaders, all presidential candidates, and all Ghanaians that we should exercise restraint and caution and know that it beholds on every Ghanaian to work for peace and that we need peace in Ghana”.

Meanwhile, there have been several protests in the capital, Accra.

Hundreds of aggrieved supporters massed up at the EC head office on Thursday and blocked roads amidst chanting of songs.

Police had to fire rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the crowd.