Following the naming of Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbe as the new chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), social media was awash with insinuations that Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo lost a vote to the Togolese president. It is unclear where the rumours emanated from, but a number of persons, notably consisting of National Democratic Congress (NDC) sympathizers run with it.
But little did they know there were a couple fundamental flaws in the election loss claims meant to mock the President on the back of his historic 2016 election victory on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
For one, as pointed out by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, ECOWAS doesn’t vote on the selection of a chairperson, because the position is rotational.
“Just to set the records straight. I don’t know who put this out about an Ecowas vote today at the summit. At the level of the heads of state, they mostly don’t vote on issues; as much as possible they go by consensus. There was no vote today. It had already been agreed as per Ecowas rules of rotation that the chair of authority will be a francophone country and this time Togo. So sorry to disappoint some folks, Ecowas doesn’t work like that. The chairmanship smoothly moved from Liberia to Togo. This propaganda will not wash. Guess what? It was President Akufo-Addo who proposed President Faure and all the others (peers) clapped unanimously in agreement. Shame on those who started spreading this falsehood. I’m off to bed.”
Faure Gnassingbe took over the rotational role from Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the 51st ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State held for the first time in Liberia on Sunday, June 4, 2017. Another key flaw in the claims on social media was that Nana Addo lost in an election with 16 voters, when ECOWAS actually consists of 15 countries after Mauritania formally withdrew in December 2000.
Source: citifmonline.com
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Folks don't let the Hon. Foreign Affairs Minister (Sherry Ayorkor Boychwey) deceive you! Her argument about the ECOWAS Chairmanship being ROTATIONAL is flawed and an embarrassment to International Relations! Read the ECOWAS treaty! ArticleA8 (2) of the ECOWAS treaty states that the chairman shall be elected. What happens is that a candidate/candidates are nominated by member states. Where only one candidate is nominated, he is then approved by the member States. But where more than one candidate is nominated, member States are asked to cast their votes for them. 2. It is not true that Akuffo Addo nominated the Togolese President. The Togolese President was nominated by the Beninoire President whiles the Ghanaian president (Akuffo Addo) was nominated by the President of Cote D'voire. Election was held between them and Akuffo Addo had two votes. 3. There is nowhere in the treaty that says so. If we follow this argument, it means that a member state can only head the organization in Sixten or more years time depending on the number of the member States. We should not forget that the organization has been headed by Chairman Rawlings, Chairman Kuffour, Chairman Mahama whiles other states have not headed the organization before.
In the worst case scenario, if Nana lost, he did not lose as huge as Mahama did in 2016. Mahama's electoral loss is unprecedented in the whole Africa. ndc will continue to lick their wounds of loss till thy kingdom come. Onaapo
NDC DON'T READ AND I HAVE MY STRONG BELIEF THAT NDC MEMBERS LACK READING SKILLS. THEY HATE TO READ AND WILL ALWAYS BE IN THE DARK AND AT THE RECEIVING END. THESE SORT OF PEOPLE WANT GHANAIANS TO ENTRUST THE NATION INTO THEIR CARE. atamfo ani awu potoooooo
Hahahahahahahh l lough enter Nima gutter
Win or lose...Nana is still president of Ghana. live with it or leave the country. Why are these NDC people so obsessed with Nana Addo? You started this thing long before the elections, yet he won. That should have thought you a lesson, but you keep looking for something that will somehow make Nana Addo a loser. If you want say what you want, Nana is still president of Ghana. Period.
And adults and statesmen like Poturphy were gleefully swallowing the fake news line, hook and sinker! What if choked you and you died, will we attribute the death to "galamsey"? Prez Rawlings is/was right. These must stop in the name of politics! Abah!