John Mahama calls for independent forensic audit of December polls because he believes he won

The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has stated that he will accept the results of the recent elections only after an independent forensic investigation has been undertaken to confirm the veracity of the results.

Speaking in an interview with Voice of America (VOA), Mr. Mahama described the just-ended elections as the “most incompetent elections we (Ghanaians) have ever had.

“Everything about this election does not reach the standard that Ghana’s Electoral Commission has attained for itself. Ghana’s Electoral Commission is held in high esteem as one of the best Electoral Commissions.

“Unfortunately, in this election, she (Jean Mensa) can’t even get the results right; the declaration is all over the place,” he bemoaned.

The former President has rejected the results of the December 7 presidential elections, describing it as flawed and fictitious. According to the NDC, the EC were in cahoots with the incumbent to rig the elections and rob the NDC of their victory.

“I think that [with] the incompetence the EC has shown, it will be useful for us to do a forensic audit of the EC’s own systems and the numbers to come to what the final number for the EC is, because as at now I don’t know what number they are going to gazette”.

Mr Mahama believes that he bears the responsibility as a democrat and as the choice of the over 6 million Ghanaians who voted for him to uphold (Ghana’s) democracy and hold the EC to higher standards.

“The way they’ve conducted this election is a dent to our democratic credentials as a government. And so in my principles as a democrat, I cannot be seen sweeping it under the carpet and letting it go. I think that we must bring closure to this by seeing exactly where the issues are.

“If an independent audit is done by the EC which shows I’ve lost, I’d be the first to concede and walk away. But as long as that is not done, and I know that there was a deliberate attempt to subvert the will of the people in favour of the incumbent, it will be wrong for me, in terms of our democratic principles, to just leave it,” he emphasised.

The EC on Wednesday, December 9, declared the incumbent President, Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), winner of the 2020 election polls, with 6,730,413 votes, representing 51.59% of the total valid ballots cast.

John Mahama was announced to have polled 6,214,889 votes, securing him 47.36% of the total valid ballots cast.

This notwithstanding, the National Democratic Congress has been insistent that it has in possession pink sheets to back its claims to have won the 2020 election polls.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mahama is expected to be in the Bono East Region capital Techiman on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the NDC in the Bono East Region.

Source: Myjoyonline.com