Ghana opposition to contest poll results

Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has categorically stated that he will not accept the verdict of the Electoral Commission in the 2012 general elections. In a charged atmosphere at the Obra Spot near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra on Tuesday, Nana Addo told party faithfuls that the decision not to accept the EC’s declaration was taken by the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) at an emergency meeting held earlier today. According to him, no matter the time period, the NPP will contest the results of the just ended presidential elections which saw his closest contender John Dramani Mahama being declared the president-elect. Thus, the NPP has directed its lawyers to head to the Supreme Court to contest the outcome of the elections. “…we know we won this election…we are not going to retreat from the decision that we have taken,” he said. The Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, on Sunday, declared President John Dramani Mahama as

winner of the presidential elections, announcing that the president-elect polled over 5 million votes representing 50.70 percent of the total valid votes cast as against Nana Akufo-Addo’s 47.74 percent. But the NPP is contesting some of the figures. It insist there is evidence to show that Ghanaians voted overwhelmingly for them and that the results had been manipulated to favour the incumbent leader. The main opposition party claim over 54,000 votes were added to that of the ruling party and have made copies of the alleged fraud and distributed it to party supporters. continued