Accept defeat else there will be chaos - NPP warns Mahama

The campaign manager of the New Patriotic Party, Peter Mac Manu, has advised President John Mahama to be guided by the election violence that occurred in Ivory Coast to accept defeat without any hesitation if he loses, to guarantee peace in Ghana.

He said Mahama must accept the outcome of the December 7 polls if he loses, and should call to congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo.

He has assured supporters of the party troubled over concerns that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) may rig the election or may not hand over power after defeat, to discount such concerns since the NPP will not allow that to happen.

"Nobody should be afraid, some people are inquiring from me, the fact that NDC may rig the election or may not cede power should they lose, let me assure you, that is not going to happen,” Mr. Mac Manu said at the launch of a programme dubbed: “Adopt a polling station” in Koforidua, Eastern region.

“If you look around Ivory Coast what happened to him [Gbagbo] when he refused to cede power, his wife as well as his special aide who was causing trouble, are all languishing in prisons, so the NDC and John Mahama must take a lesson from that to cede power to guarantee peace in the country,” he added.

Mr. Mac Manu stated Nana Akufo-Addo accepted defeat in 2008 by congratulating the late President John Evans Atta Mills, adding in 2012, the party attempted to pour on the streets to cause mayhem after the party detected irregularities, but Nana Akufo-Addo blocked that move instead opted to use legal means to seek redress at the Supreme Court.

However, Nana Akufo-Addo immediately called President Mahama on phone to congratulate him after the case and has therefore advised Mahama to replicate similar gesture if he loses.

The Director-In-Charge of National Fundraising Team of the opposition NPP, Ken Ofori-Atta, later told Starr News the project being rolled out nationwide is aimed at ensuring that adequate resources are generated both in cash and in kind to support polling station agents that would be deployed to the various polling stations across the country to remedy some loopholes that were created in their duties in the 2012 elections which provided opportunities for irregularities in the election.