Former President John Dramani Mahama has refuted claims that he was persuaded to concede defeat during the 2016 general elections.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in a bombshell remark said it was through his effort that the former President who was unwilling to accept defeat, conceded.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who was speaking at the United Nations General Assembly said: "at the conclusion of the last presidential and parliamentary elections, the country stood on the edge of disaster. The United Nations representative and the diplomatic community were aghast and alarmed that Ghana was about to slip down the slope of the electoral violense. Fortunately, the moral authority of the palace was at hand. we were able to intervene to persuade the losing candidate to accept his fate and to fly both candidates for a quiet encounter to pave way for a smooth handover."
This is contrary to reports from Mahama that he conceded defeat on his own accord.
However, a statement in reaction to this signed by former Chief of Staff under the erstwhile Mahama administration, Julius Debrah said the former President was not persuaded to concede defeat.
Per the statement, "the decision to concede and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were declared was taken by President Mahama himself without any persuasion from any quarter. The Asantehene has over the years been a very respected interlocutor in Ghana’s multi-party political engagements. He has been generous in his wise counsel to present and former Presidents. It is public knowledge that President Mahama willingly announced his decision to accept the outcome of the 2016 elections and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were formally declared by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission."
Read the full statement below
OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON REPORTS SUGGESTING THAT HE JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA REFUSED TO ACCEPT & CONCEDE DEFEAT IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Reference is made to a video recording of an address by His Majesty the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the UN High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, which seems to suggest that former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama had to be persuaded to concede defeat in the 2016 Presidential Election.
As former Chief of Staff to President Mahama, I was associated closely with all the pre, during and post 2016 poll events. I state without equivocation that the decision to concede and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were declared was taken by President Mahama himself without any persuasion from any quarter.
The Asantehene has over the years been a very respected interlocutor in Ghana’s multi-party political engagements. He has been generous in his wise counsel to present and former Presidents.
It is public knowledge that President Mahama willingly announced his decision to accept the outcome of the 2016 elections and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were formally declared by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.
On the day President Mahama willingly conceded defeat, he met with then Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah- Arthur, NDC Chairman Kofi Portuphy, General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia, together with some high ranking members of the party and informed them of his decision to call and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo.
Following the meeting with the party, he called a number of personalities including President Jerry John Rawlings, President John Agyekum Kufuor, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, National Chief Imam Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu, Rev. Ernest Agyei of the Ringway Assemblies of God Church and Archbishop Duncan Williams.
As Otumfuo himself has already stated publicly, under his auspices, there were three meetings held in Kumasi between President Mahama and then Candidate/President-Elect Nana Akufo-Addo during the period.
The first was prior to the December 07 election in which the two candidates promised to play fair and respect the will of the people. Indeed, President Mahama in a conversation with Nana Akufo-Addo said he hoped Nana was not going to tie down the nation in a court case again after the 2016 elections.
The other two meetings took place after the official declaration of the results of the elections, and to re-emphasise, after President Mahama had publicly conceded and congratulated Nana Akufo-Addo. Those two meetings focused on matters arising out of the transition process.
President Mahama made a commitment to the people of Ghana, never to be the one to subject them to the periods of unease, political instability and the doubts they experienced after the 2008 and 2012 elections. He remained true to that commitment and exemplified it after the 2016 elections.
Mr. Julius Debrah Former Chief of Staff Accra.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Please point of correction, those refaring to Asantehene as chief should watch their tongues he is not a chief he is a king.
ASANTE HENE IS A LIAYER, LOOK HE IS NOT GOD , AND ALSO HE IS THE KING OF ASANTE NOT GHANA PLEASE
All those saying that the Asantehene was peddling falsehood,where were they when lots of meetings were being held behind closed doors? At least, I wasn't there, but it comes in the news that he ( Asantehene met with so and so person. So I knew there were meetings
Chief, You peddled an untruth. Should I say you lied or you are a liar?
It looks like Ex=President Mahama and his NDC got the import of the Otumfuor speech wrong. Otumfuor emphasized about the importance of traditional role in contemporary politics in peace building. He cited from his experience in Ghana as an examples which must be encouraged in other African societies and elsewhere. The challenge from Mahama and NDC is uncalled for. Did Otumfuor and others get involved in elections in Ghana? Yes they do. Did Otumfuor meet NPP and NDC candidates number of times just before and after elections? Yes he did. Was it urgent and necessary for him to do that? Yes it was. Was there any tension in the country which instigated that? Ye it was and many in Ghana expected personalities like Otumfuor to intervene. Did the action of Otumfuor helped . Yes it did greatly. Was it necessary for the story to be told at UN. Yes it was very necessary. UN hopes to encourage others by that story to promote peace in the world. Other institutions were expected to follow that good example. Otumfuor had been invited just to do that. Is NDC right to criticize Otumfuor for his speech at UN. The speech had been made long ago in Ghana by Otumfuor without any reaction. NDC reaction at this time becomes unfair to UN. They acted in bad faith and their reaction is mischievous.
Mahama is Satan
Now adays di33 chiefs like peddling falsehood too much. At what stage did he see Ghana was on the verge of war? ntr) sei AAA na ay3 de3n?
WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION FOR SUCH COMMENTS BY NANA OTUMFOUR. NANA OTUMFOUR HAS BEEN ON THE THRONE FOR AT LEAST 20 YRS. WHAT WAS NANA OTUMFOUR ADVISE IN 2008. IN 2012, PEACE ACCORD WERE SIGNED IN KUMASI BEFORE 2012 ELECTION. CAN NANA OTUMFOUR SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC HIS COUNSEL AND ADVISED TO AKUFFO ADDO THE LOSING CANDIDATE AS ANNOUNCED BY EC. GHANAIANS WITNESSED NASTY EVENTS AT OBRA SPOT. ***barred word*** AND HALF TRUTH PARADED IN COURT IN 2012 ELECTION TRIALS.
let's not forget that the Asantehene doesn't speak and retract. Asante Kings always speaks in parable riddles. there's something NDC is refusing to understand from the Asantehene's statement and this makes it surprising, that all these "big heads" in NDC none could interprets the Kings riddle???.... let me give Julius Debrah a clue; Can Julius Debrah read this riddle? 'we have the national house of chiefs and not Kings' If Debrah can understand this riddle then of course, he can interprets Otumfuo's statement at the UN general assembly. lol
weather jm likes it or not. he was the asantehen did his best by speaking to him. he thinks we don't know what he was hiding behind the black shaze?