Former President John Mahama has conceded for the first time there were irregularities with the 2016 elections which he lost to then-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo.
According to him, he rejected the option of touring the country to gather evidence of over-voting and other irregularities because his National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign wanted to institutionalise democracy.
“It is not that there were no irregularities. I could have gone round and gathered all kinds of examples of over-voting and tie the nation in court again. But I do think that the NDC is playing the game democratically,” he said.
He made the comments during an interview with Abdul Hayi Moomen on the state broadcaster, GBC on Tuesday.
According to the President, unlike the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the NDC does not find it difficult to accept defeat.
“The NPP are the ones that often will never accept when they have lost an election. But be that as it may, I say Ghana has earned accolade ‘beacon of democracy’ because the elections have been largely successful.
In 2012, Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, then a Vice Presidential candidate, led an eight-month-long legal tussle at the Supreme Court over the validity of polls that year.
The NPP argued that they had every reason to believe that the results were rigged in favour of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) candidate John Dramani Mahama.
However, by a 5-4 majority decision, the apex court ruled that President Mahama was validly elected.
There were four and three consistent judges who voted against and for the annulment of more than two million votes due to what the petitioners described as gross and widespread irregularities recorded during the election.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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this man is just a disgrace to manhood. the supreme courts split decision says a lot about the 2012 elections. if not for atuguba u wont be talking like this today. he was the only one left to decide and of course he did not even think twice abt it bcos his posture during the sitting says it all. go and thank atuguba. the reason why u ple probably chose not to go to court is that 1. u wanted to hand over power bcos of the mess u created and 2. u have nobody with that needed brain to stand in court like Bawumia did for the NPP. is asiedu nketia or kofi adams that will be ur principal witness? those drunkards?. just accept that u were incompetent and let sleeping dogs lie.
THIS IS VERY SHAMEFUL FOR MAHAMA. HE HAS BETRAYED HIMSELF THAT HE WAS COMPELLED BY SOME REALISTIC PEOPLE IN NDC TO ACCEPT THE ELECTION. THIS IS SHAMEFUL FOR HIM. NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY KENYA ELECTION WAS ANNULLED WHEN MAHAMA HAS APPROVED IT. MAHAMA SHOULD REALISE THAT IT WAS RATHER 2012 ELECTION WHICH WAS FRAUDULENTTT. THAT ELECTION WAS CLEARLY FRAUDULENT BECAUSE THE RULE FOR THE BIOMETRIC ELECTION WAS IGNORED FOR MAHAMA AND AFARI GYAN TO MANUPULATE THE ELECTIONS. BESIDES, THE ELECTION WAS CONTINUED FOR A SECOND DAY IN MOST OF THE STRONGHOLDS OF NDC TO IREGILALY INCREASE THE VOTES OF MAHAMA TO OVERRIDE THE LEAD OF NPP NANA ADDO. NPP IN 2016 WON HANDSDOWN BECAUSE THE DID THEIR HOMEWORK WELL TO STOP THE EXTENSION OF THE ELECTION DAY AND OVERLOOKING THE BIOMETRIC SULES. NDC HAD TO LOSE WHEN THE LOOPHOLES IN THE ELECTION WERE STOPPED. MAHAMA SHOULD NOT TAKE IT LIGHT THE CLAIM BY NANA KONADU THAT NDC HAS NEVER WON ANY CLEAN ELECTION IN GHANA. IF HE IS MAKING SUCH A CLAIM BECAUSE HE IS ENVISAGING ANY TRICK OF FRAUD THEN HE MUST BE DECEIVING HIMSELF BECAUSE NOBODY WOULD SIT DOWN TO ALLOW IT AGAIN.
JM you must be sincere and admit that the 2016 elections was not for you unlike 2012 where Anty Charlotte manufactured some votes for you to win. Don't be a non entity.
This incompetent and greedy John Ford Mahama guy is now annoying... You appointed the EC boss to rig the election for you which she was not able to do... Go to court and challenge the results or forever s.h.u.t up...
If only this stzzupid mahama guy will learn to educate his phuckingg mouth
Vivian are you happy with his insulting President Rawlings that he has mood swing?and what do you think people with mood swing are? Is that not the same as others also referring John mahama to? And that one de3 he is former president and what is President Rawlings to you? Who cares about you people who send you plates to John mahama and his family for food? I will never rely on somebody to eat so I'm free to say what I want to say. John mahama doesn't feed me and my family we work hard to take care of ourselves so nobody can tell me not to say what I want to say to that man. He was giving the chance to move the country forward with good policies but chose to prioritize his family, friends and cronies neglecting the rest of the country to fence for themselves and you tell peeved people by his way of governance not to insult him because he was what? Did he do what a president was supposed to do? What policy did he rolled down for the people to benefit? That was where I Wil call him my president but not selective governance when others were fed and others go hungry by destroying their businesses with dumsor. Gimme a breeeeeeeak!
Supreme Court doors are widely open, so go there, and stop disturbing us over your gargantuan defeat.
Seriously guys, no need for insults.
Joe Crazy, this does not call for insults ok. You can express yourself without insulting. At least remember he has been our president before. How can you say your ex-president has issues with his mental faculties????. That is below the belt. Usually these are answers to questions from Journalists. Take it easy cos even if you don't like him, his party, family or style of leadership one thing that binds us together is that, we are all Ghanaians.
Delta Force will tell you what they did to win the election 2016. Don't talk God is in control.