Former President John Dramani Mahama, flag bearer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 elections, has accused Electoral Commission (EC) of being biased toward the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking at a recent Campaign event, in the greater Accra Region, Former President Mahama criticized the EC’s decision to disqualify Juana Kudjo the NDC’s parliamentary candidates for Amanfi, claiming it was a deliberate move to favor the ruling NPP.
He described the EC’s actions as politically motivated, undermining the fairness of the upcoming elections. The former President Mahama said, “Normally when we complain about the Electoral Commission, people think we’re just making noise’’ .
“But their actions and demeanor clearly show they are aligned with one political party. Recently, the EC disqualified our parliamentary candidate, even before we’ve cast one ballot, effectively giving a seat to the NPP “.
Mahama explained that in May, during the party’s primaries, there were legal disputes leading to a court injunction. The court ordered a rerun of the primaries, which the NDC subsequently conducted in September. However, despite the successful rerun, the EC disqualified the candidate based on the original court injunction from May, not the September decision.
“This is the same EC that supervised the September rerun and declared our candidate the winner. Yet, they later used the May injunction to disqualify the candidate, which is completely unfair,” Mahama added.
He went on to accuse the EC of hastily moving to print ballots, knowing that the NDC’s legal challenges were still pending. “The EC is aware that if the candidate wins a judgment after ballots are printed, they cannot be added. This gives the NPP a free seat even before the elections are held,” he alleged.
Mahama further revealed that the NDC has filed an injunction against the EC to prevent the printing of parliamentary ballot papers until the courts make a final determination on the matter. “We will not allow this to go unchallenged. We’ve taken legal steps to stop the printing of the ballots, and we’ll wait for the court’s decision,” he said.
In his remarks, the former president called on NDC supporters to be vigilant on election day, urging them to stay at polling stations after voting to ensure transparency during vote counting.
“All of us must protect the vote. Don’t leave it to just the party agents. Once voting ends, stay at your polling station, witness the counting, and make sure you get a copy of the results before leaving,” Mahama instructed.
The NDC leader’s comments come amidst growing concerns over the impartiality of the Electoral Commission in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections. He reiterated the need for vigilance and called on Ghanaians to ensure their votes are protected.
The NDC’s flag bearer’s accusations signal deep mistrust between the NDC and the EC, further raising tensions ahead of the 2024 elections.
With legal battles unfolding and allegations of bias surfacing, the fairness of the election process remains a central issue as the country heads to the polls on 7th December 2024.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
