Stop shifting the goalpost – Mahama tells EC

3 News

Fri 20th Dec, 2024 16:59

President-elect John Dramani Mahama has told the Electoral Commission (EC) to apply the rules of the game fairly in handling the results from the nine outstanding constituencies.

Mr Mahama said the EC cannot be shifting the goalpost and applying the rules when it suits them.

“The few outstanding issues arising from the elections where nine constituencies are in dispute and we think that the EC should act in a principled manner.

Speaking to African ambassadors and high commissioners on Friday, December 20, Mr Mahama said “You cannot change the rules when it suits you and apply different rules when different circumstances exist. There was a particular case in 2020 and the EC came out clearly that if a declaration had been made, it was not the duty of the commission to adjudicate it and the court was the right place to go.

“So, if a declaration has been made, it doesn’t matter under what circumstance; they are saying some are under duress. In the case of Techiman South, it was under duress with soldiers in the collation room. There was chaos in the collation when the declaration was made.

“The same arguments were passed that there should be a re-collation, and the EC said no… In the same circumstances, declarations have been made. If the people have any grievances, they must go to court and address those grievances there.

“We don’t think the goalpost should be shifted depending on who is at the other end of the stick. We think that there must be fairness and justice in everything we do.”

His comments come after the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, announced that the commission was unable to uphold the declaration of parliamentary results in nine constituencies, as they were made under duress.

The affected constituencies are Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Ahafo Ano South West, Ahafo Ano North, Obuasi East, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, Techiman South, and Dome-Kwabenya.

Madam Mensa assured that the outstanding collations in these constituencies would follow due process.

“The declarations made by our staff were under threats, and we consider them illegal. We will not uphold results made under threats or duress,” she stated during a press conference in Accra on Thursday, December 19.

She further called on the outgoing President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the incoming President, John Dramani Mahama, to ensure the safety of EC officials.

“We appeal to Akufo-Addo and John Mahama to intervene and provide the commission with adequate security to fully complete our work in the 2024 general elections,” Jean Mensa added.

Meanwhile, an High Court has directed the Electoral Commission (EC) to recollate and declare the results of the Ablekuma North and Nsawam-Adoagyiri constituencies, despite previous declarations.

Presiding judge Joseph Adu Owusu Agyeman, in his ruling on Friday, December 20, ordered the EC to proceed with the recollation of the results in the Ablekuma North constituency. This ruling was made despite objections from NDC legal representatives, led by Godwin Edudzi Tamaklo.

Similarly, objections raised by Gary Nimako, lead counsel for Frank Annoh-Dompreh of the NPP, were also overruled.

Both lawyers argued that the results of the constituencies had already been declared, but the court determined that anomalies in the process warranted the re-collation.

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