You can’t use aggression to win power – Oko-Boye to Mahama, NDC

Outgoing Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Dr Benard Oko-Boye has told the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama and his party supporters that they cannot use force and hostility to win political power.

He called on Mr Mahama to either accept defeat or use the proper channel in addressing his grievances rather than inciting his supporters to demonstrate on the streets to protest the election results announced by the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC).

Dr Oko Boye who was defeated in the parliamentary election explained on the New Day programme that some members of his campaign team asked him not to accept the results of the parliamentary election because the margin between him and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate was very close.

But he declined and congratulated him although the polls were closed.

NDC supporters have been hitting the streets to protest against the results of the election as declared by the chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) Jean Mensa after the presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama said he will not accept those results.

In the view of Mr Mahama, the results were manipulated to favour the governing New Patriotic Party.

Addressing the nation on Thursday, December 11, the presidential candidate of the NDC said “The facts and figures on the pink sheets available to us indicate that numerous steps have been taken to manipulate the elections in favour of the incumbent.

“This calls into question the credibility of one of our most important institutional pillars of democracy, the Electoral Commission."

“It is now obvious to many objective minds that the Commission and its chairperson have been used to manipulate results from the various constituencies and in that process seek to subvert the sovereign will of the Ghana people.”

He added “Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, final election results have always been declared within a 72hour period to allow for thorough and diligence collation.

“Surprisingly, this Electoral Commission chairperson announced quite suspiciously for reasons known to her a hurried 24hour deadline which as we all know could not and would not be met.

But Dr Oko-Boye who is also Deputy Minister of Health said “If Former President Mahama says that he doesn’t accept the results it is not surprising to me. At my collation centre some of my guys told me that the results were too close and so I shouldn’t accept, we should call for recounting.

“But I told them that as an agent myself I have seen the figures across the constituency, it is close but he has won so let us congratulate him. That is what a leader does. I wished I had won but you can’t use aggression. You can’t use forces to turn the will of the people. When you try you come into unnecessary contact or confrontation with the law and the powers of the state.”