It’s a done deal! – Nana Addo urges calm

• Posted on December 9, 2016December 9, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

THE leader of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has called on supporters of the party to remain call and allow the Electoral Commission ample time to deliver a credible election results.

Nana Akufo-Addo who addressed supporters at his residence assured the party of victory in the elections. 

“We have won a famous and historic victory”, he said.

He told the enthusiastic crowd that he was already in the process of assembling a competent team to take control of government to work the Ghana agenda and move the country forward.

NPP calls the elections 

The party in the early hours of yesterday declared itself victors in the 2016 elections, urging President John Mahama to concede defeat.

The call came after a press statement was issued by the governing NDC indicating to its supporters that the incumbent president, John Dramani Mahama, who is seeking a second term in office, was in a “comfortable lead”.

The National Campaign Chairman of the NPP, Peter Mac Manu, responsed by saying that the party’s own tabulation of about 80 percent of polling station results, indicated the NPP had won the elections.

The Party’s flagbearer, however, said calculations done at the time of the briefing indicate that the NPP had secured a majority seat in parliament and had clinched the presidential slot as well.

Then in a hurriedly organised press conference, the NDC condemned the claim by the NPP, describing the early declaration by the party as “irresponsible and treasonable.”

The General Secretary of the Party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, also assured supporters that the “NDC was cruising to victory”. 

NPP supporters take to the streets 

The seeming delay of the process by the  Electoral Commission in announcing elections results from the various collation centers across the country further heightened suspicion of anxious among supporters of the party, who accused the Electoral Commission of covertly planning to manipulate the figures in favour of the ruling NDC.

Hundreds of disgruntled supporters of the party, however, thronged the Nima residence of the opposition leader chanting victory songs and casting aspersions on the Electoral Commission.

Some supporters, clad in party T-shirts and other party paraphernalia, chanted and danced to tunes of the ruling NDC’s campaign songs while others were in warring apparel, conspicuously displaying amulets sewn on them.

EC not manipulating results 

In the heat of the tension, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, at a press briefing assured the general public that the EC was not manipulating the results as being suggested.

 She explained that Commission was only following the legal means of declaring the outcome of the results and ensuring that the outcome is credible.

 She emphasised that the Commission was still within the mandated period for announcing the results and would not be stampeded to do so.

 The EC chair hinted that as at 5pm yesterday, 90 constituency results which had not been signed by the various party agents, had been received by the Commission.

She urged all to be patient while the EC goes through all processes of delivering credible election results.

She also hinted that the Commission had resorted to manual transmission of election results as against a planned electronic transmission system because the system had been compromised.

 Police warns trouble makers 

In the ensuing heightening tension across the country, the Police Service called for calm and assured all Ghanaians of the Services’ readiness to ensure peace and order.

At a press conference organised by the Police Service, the Director of Police, Operations COP Yohuno, said the police would not countenance any act that would compromise the peace of the country.

He said the Police Service would impartially enforce the laws of the land to protect lives and property.

By Daniel NONOR, Accra