The managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has commended President John Mahama and President-elect Nana Addo for their show of maturity.
According to him, President Mahama showed maturity when he conceded defeat in a ‘dignified’ way and Nana Addo also showed maturity when he asked his supporters to stay calm and wait for the EC to declare the results.
“What a mark of statesmanship; what dignity…I salute President John Dramani Mahama for making all of us proud again. I want us to also congratulate President-elect Akufo Addo. He has displayed a certain measure of maturity which I haven’t seen for a long time.
Kwesi Pratt's comment follows Nana Akufo Addo's victory and President Mahama's concession of defeat after results from the 2016 election were announced.
Nana Akufo Addo polled 5,716,020 votes representing 53.85 percent to beat the incumbent President John Dramani Mahama who got 4,713,277 votes representing 44.04 percent of total votes cast.
Total votes casts in the 2016 presidential elections was 10,781, 609.
Prior to the declaration of results, some NPP supporters who were sure that their candidate had won the presidential elections started agitating especially as the EC was 'delaying' in declaring the results. As a result, Nana Addo held a press conference and asked them to be calm, respect the law and allow the Electoral Commission to formerly declare the results.
Contributing to a panel discussion on Radio Gold's Alhaji and Alhaji, Saturday, the renowned journalist said: "I took my time and listened to the concession address of his Excellency President John Dramani Mahama and I couldn't be prouder. Matured; very very matured statement of concession; he even refused to go into his legacy and said he was leaving that to history and that he will allow history to judge him. He unreservedly and it appears to me; sincerely congratulated Akufo Addo. I mean what a mark of statesmanship; what dignity...President John Mahama is leaving office in dignity; complete dignity. I salute President John Mahama for making us proud again".
"I want us to also congratulate President-elect, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo; he has displayed a measure of maturity; a certain level of maturity which I haven't seen for a long time. Nana Addo spoke to the media and said four important things (after supporters started agitating): that the mandate to declare elections is reserved to the Electoral Commission; that he has full confidence in the electoral commission; that nobody should engage in activities which will disturb the peace of Ghana and that Ghana was more important than any person and four; he called on his supporters to go back home and wait for the appropriate time when the electoral commission will declare the results. What more can anybody expect? This is the level of maturity which deserves very high commendation and I am very happy that Nana Akufo Addo has started on this note of maturity; it is very significant" Kwesi Pratt added.
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