2020 polls: ‘I’m not interested in any crooked results’ – Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has told the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Jean Mensa, that he is not interested in any crooked results of the 7 December 2020 polls and does not want to be a President elected by deceit.
The President’s comment comes on the back of several suspicions by the biggest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is in bed with the EC to rig the December elections in favour of the governing party and the President.
But filing his nomination forms at the headquarters of the election management body in Accra on Tuesday, 6 October 2020, Nana Akufo-Addo stressed that he is not interested in any rigged elections.
He called on the EC Chair and her colleagues to be fair and transparent in the conduct of the December polls.
The President said: “We are counting on you to be the arbiter and to hold the scales evenly to all contestants. What the Ghanaian people are expecting is that the election of the 7th of December will be an election that is conducted in peace, in freedom, in security, and in transparency so that the results of the election will reflect the will of the Ghanaian people.
“Elections are not meant to be decided by you or the officials that work for you. You are the referees of the contest.
“The election is supposed to be decided by the people of Ghana and we are hoping that the arrangements that you have put in place will enable the Ghanaian people to manifest their will on the 7th of December and choose the next government of the fourth republic.
“So far, the work that you have done has given considerable confidence to the majority of people in our country that in you and in the leadership of the Electoral Commission, we have people who are committed to a free, fair, credible and transparent process.
“We hope that that will mark the conduct of the elections of 7th December. I am not in interested in any crooked results. I do not want to be a president elected by deceit.
“I look forward to a contest that will be fairly conducted, so that if, indeed, by the will of the almighty, I am again, the choice of the Ghanaian people, it will be one that has been freely and openly demonstrated.
“I want to thank you very much for the opportunity this morning and what we all pray for is that may the best man win.”
Nana Akufo-Addo’s main contender, Mr John Mahama, at a recent press conference, reiterated that he and his party, the NDC, will not accept the results of the December polls if the process is flawed.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, 24 September 2020 about the party’s concerns with the credibility of the provisional voter register as it went through the exhibition process at the time, the flagbearer of the NDC said: “We in the NDC have exhibited restraint at all times in this electoral process”.
“Even now, we are committed to doing so.
“But, let me serve notice once again that we’ll not accept results of a flawed election”, Mr Mahama warned.
“We will certainly not look on, neither will we shirk our civic responsibility and allow the EC, whether by ill intent or sheer incompetence, to usurp the people’s mandate in the December 7 polls.
“The EC must take immediate steps to rectify and sanitise the register and re-exhibit it, to afford the voting public and all stakeholders, an opportunity to verify their particulars in the voter register before it is finalised”, he said.
He told party supporters that: “This moment demands of us to act with patriotic zeal to preserve the zeal and stability of our beloved nation Ghana”.
“The true will of the people must triumph”, Mr Mahama noted.