NDC Hold Your Horses, The Battle Is Still Not Over!

ELECTION ’08 THE SAGA CONTINUES.

At last the long talked about 2008 Presidential Elections is here. It has been an exciting and interesting experience with all the firebrand events. Before it all ends, the people of Ghana need to be congratulated for sending forth a strong signal to all the parliamentarians who have been rejected for lack of accountability and performance.

The results of the Runoff seem to be skewing to the favor of the NDC candidate, Dr. Atta-Mills, having prevailed in most of the regions. Yet the results were so close to call. Some independent radio and television stations in Ghana had projected opposition leader Atta Mills as the country's next president based on the numbers already released or available. Yet the battle is not over. (This could create some confusion as NDC would hold a Press Conference to declare the same on Sunday). We all expected to know the results by Tuesday December 30, 2008. The chairman of Ghana's Independent Electoral Commission Kojo Afari-Djan had to wait before he could officially declare the winner of Sunday's presidential run-off election. We are still waiting.

Historic December 28 Presidential Runoff

By the close of 290 polling stations out of 230 certified results by the Electoral commission indicated that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Mr. Atta Mills had won 50.13% of the vote, while Mr. Akufo-Addo had taken 49.87%. The results covered all 230 constituencies, except Tain in the Brong Ahafo region, which was unable to vote on Sunday runoff because of a problem with voting materials. The district of Tain has some 53,000 registered voters. Dr Atta Mills had earlier claimed victory, but the NPP has said this was premature. We should note that if Dr Atta Mills could come from behind to become the forerunner, the same could tilt for Mr. Akufo-Addo on January 2, 2009.

At this stage one needs to warn the NDC not to be so excited and over confidence. Mathematically anything can happen. The balance of power can still turn into Nana Akuffo Addo’s favor. If Akuffo Addo needs only to

The first round of the 2008 Ghana Presidential Elections ended without a clear winner. None of the eight (8) candidates for the Presidency received the required majority of the votes needed to win on December 7, 2008. Therefore, the Electoral Commission (EC) announced a runoff on the 28th of December. The 28th December runoff was between Akufo-Addo (NPP) and John Atta Mills (NDC) who got 49.13 % and 47.92 % respectively of the votes on 7 December. Per constitutional requirement, one must get at least 50 percent of the votes to win in the Presidential Elections.

By the close of 290 polling stations out of 230 certified results by the Electoral commission indicated that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Mr. Atta Mills had won 50.13% of the vote, while Mr. Akufo-Addo had taken 49.87%. The results covered all 230 constituencies, except Tain in the Brong Ahafo region, which was unable to vote on Sunday runoff because of a problem with voting materials. The district of Tain has some 53,000 registered voters. Mr. Atta Mills had earlier claimed victory, but the NPP has said this was premature.

Even though NDC has won the parliamentary seat, we cannot guarantee that the people of Tain will automatically vote for Dr. Atta-Mills. What if the people of Tain did not vote on party lines but for the man they knew and admired? What if this time NPP deploy all its soldiers on the ground and start going block by block, and house to house? What if Nana Addo decides to pitch his tent with the massas of Tain and could win the sympathy of the people of Tain this time. Let’s assume he is able to skew 30,000 of the votes, this will bring Dr Atta-Mills’ 50.13% to below 50% or at 50%. What happens then? The Electoral Commission should be considering such an outcome.

Meanwhile, I beseech all Ghanaians to pray as well as to exercise some restraint and accept with dignity the final results on Jan