Former President John Dramani Mahama
The perennial flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, is notorious for his hypocritical remarks when it comes to issues about the Electoral Commission.
When he was president, he found it quite strange why the then Charlotte Osei-led EC could come under a lot of flak when the EC or its management members had no means to determine which political party would win the elections.
Apart from the aforesaid issue, Mahama also said that attacks on EC were strategies to vilify the credibility of the referee by parties that were losing the 2016 elections.
"The use of accusations including unprintable insults hurled at the person of the EC Chair has become normal. This is unacceptable, but as students of politics, we can see the strategy behind it: vilify the credibility of the referee in the eyes of the public when you can tell you are losing the match” he said.
He continued: “This creates a platform where, when you lose, you can discredit and contest the outcome of the match. This is the underlying force for the whining that has taken place against the EC Chair."
The above statements were made by H.E. John D. Mahama, on Sunday, August 14, 2016 at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium when he was campaigning for re-election.
Today, the same John Mahama and his party people have been leading the onslaughts against the Electoral Commission, accusing the Commission of engaging in activities that favour the ruling NPP, and, therefore, making sure the governing party gets the advantage during the 2024 elections.
So one can ask; “Is Mr. Mahama saying that the EC which he said did not have the means to ensure one party wins an election, can now help the NPP win the 2024 elections?”
Is he saying that his constant accusations against the EC are geared towards vilifying the electoral body and attacking its credibility so that when he loses 2024, he puts the blame on the EC?
If yesterday, the EC had no capacity to rig elections for any political party, what has changed that John Mahama is walking back on his own words? Is it not the same Electoral Commission of Ghana managed by the same Ghanaians that are in place today? It simply means that, Mr. Mahama is only seeking to blame the EC way ahead of his defeat in the December elections.
P.K.Sarpong, Whispers from the Corridors of the Thinking Place.
