2020 election was one of the most flawed and manipulated elections in Ghana’s history – NDC fires back at EC
- EC has described the 2020 polls as the most peaceful and successful
-The EU Observation Mission also said that the elections met international standards
- President Akufo-Addo won the elections
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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has fired back at the Electoral Commission (EC), dismissing its claims that the 2020 election was the most successful since the inception of the Fourth Republic.
Source: Facebook
Speaking during a post-election workshop by CODEO, the EC’s Deputy Director of Elections, Michael Boadi stated: “It is…indisputable that the 2020 parliamentary and presidential elections were the most successful, well-coordinated, efficient, and the most peaceful election organised in the 4th Republic of Ghana.”
The European Union Election Observation Mission to Ghana 2020 (EU EOM) also said the elections organised by the Jean Mensa-led EC were “efficiently organised and competitive.”
Chief Observer, Javier Nart, noted that voters participated freely in large numbers and that the process “successfully met a range of international standards.”
Reacting to the claims by the EC at a news conference in Accra on Thursday, May 20, 2021, the Director of Elections of the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah disagreed.
According to him, the NDC has several pieces of evidence to show that the election was terribly organised and the results as declared by the commission were flawed and illegal.
Citing what he says were widespread vote padding among other irregularities, Ankrah said contrary to the claims by the commission that the "2020 general elections was the best ever in the history of this country and calls for the nation to celebrate some so-called unprecedented success chalked by the EC in the conduct of the elections, the facts show that last year’s election was one of the most poorly conduct, flawed, and manipulated elections in the history of this country.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo defeated former President John Mahama in the said election to secure another four-year term; collecting 51.302% of the votes cast against the latter’s 47.359%.
The votes difference between the two candidates stood at 517, 231, representing a four-percentage point, one of the highest since 1996.
The former president rejected the outcome of the elections and petitioned the Supreme Court.
He argued that there was no winner in the elections and that the declaration by the chairperson of EC was flawed.
He thus prayed the court to order for a rerun of the elections between him and Akufo-Addo.
The Apex Court, however, dismissed the petition, stating that it cannot order a rerun of the 2020 presidential polls.
The panel held that former President John Dramani Mahama, the petitioner in the case, failed to adduce “cogent evidence” to back his claims that there was no winner in the December 7, 2020, presidential elections.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
