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John Mahama, the former president has said he went into the 2016 elections knowing that he could lose or win therefore he had speeches prepared for both circumstances.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo defeated his main opponent by 53.8% to 44.4% in the polls after a third attempt at the presidency.

Talking to Samson Kasumba on Uganda-based NBS Television, Mahama said he has a track record of conceding defeat but feels the 2020 election ended under questionable circumstances. 

Win or lose
“When going into an election, prepare to either win or lose. In 2016, I prepared two speeches, and unfortunately, I had to use the concession speech in 2016,” Mahama said.

“In 2016, I was the incumbent President, and I lost an election. I conceded and congratulated my opponent and attended his inauguration.

“I have a track record of conceding to elections asserting they were free and fair. 2021 was not the same. When I was President, we didn’t interfere with the election security committee. They did their job,” Mahama said.

World-class EC
Mahama said despite challenges, Ghana’s Electoral Commission has earned for itself an enviable record of world-class electoral body.

“We have gone from metallic boxes to transparent boxes, photo ID cards, and biometric registration.
We believe the Electoral Commission has built enough capacity to hold a free and fair election.”

“We have held several elections since 1992 in Ghana. Ghana has become the gold standard for elections, and our electoral commission is prided as one of the best on the continent,” the former president said.