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The Greater Accra Association of Assembly Members has called on the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to seek redress in the court for any electoral concerns in the just-ended presidential and parliamentary elections.

According to them, the constant prostest amid burning of vehicle tyres in the streets without approval from the Police is creating fear and panic across the country.

Mr Alfred Adjei, General Secretary of the Association, at a press conference in Accra to express the displeasure of the Association about the issues, called on the Police Service to arrest perpetrators of such acts, which “threatened the peace and security of the nation.”

He said the Chapter Five of the 1992 Constitution, article 12 stated that “the fundamental human rights and freedom enshrined in the chapter shall be respected and upheld by the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary and all other organs of government, where applicable to them, by all-natural and legal persons in Ghana, and shall be enforceable by the Courts as provided.”

“The behaviour of the leadership of the NDC in inciting their followers against the EC and section of the media for conniving with NPP to rig the 2020 election polls is unfortunate because there is no material or evidential value to authenticate their claims,” Mr Adjei said.

He said Mr John Dramani Mahama, the Presidential Candidate for the NDC after the 2012 elections, advised Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the then Presidential Candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to go to court for any suspicion of a rigged election.

“Our Association is also encouraging the leadership of the NDC to chart a course already blazed by the NPP in 2012 by going to court to challenge the election results as law-abiding citizens,” Mr Adjei said.

The Association commended the Electoral Commission for a “successful voter registration and a peaceful incident-free, transparent and fair elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”

"We would also like to seize this wonderful moment to commend and subsequently congratulate the Electoral Commission of Ghana headed by Mrs Jean Mensah, her Commissioners and Staff in Organising a successful voter registration coupled with a peaceful incident free, transparent and fair elections in the midst of the deadly pandemic, COVID-19."

Mr Adjei said the general election was acclaimed by the observer community, locally and internationally, as the freest and fair of all elections since the commencement of the fourth Republican democratic dispensation.

He said Ghana’s democracy had gained positive image internationally due to the adherence of rule of law as a guiding philosophy needed to ensure the consolidation of peace as an indispensable value to facilitate development.

Mr Adjei said the passage of Constitutional Instruments designed to improve the electoral processes through the EC had strengthened the credibility of electioneering processes of the country and that parties aggrieved should seek redress at the law courts.

Mr Moses Abor, the President of the Association urged aggrieved parties in the elections to conduct their activities civilly and peacefully devoid of any untoward incidents.

“We believed that there are appropriate channels for any aggrieved political parties to seek redress for any electoral issues and we will ensure that the right thing is done according to the dictate of the law”, he said.

The NDC has rejected the presidential results declared by the Electoral Commission and embarked on series of street protests across the country, some, turning violent.

GREATER ACCRA ASSOCIATION OF ASSEMBLY MEMBERS PRESS CONFERENCE.

Good Morning Ladies and Gentleman of the Press:

We, Members of the Greater Accra Association of Assembly Members have invited you here today, the Press to present to you for attention a Sensitive Matter of National Importance.

Our Fourth Republican Dispensation or Democracy has gained positive image internationally.

The achievement of this international positive image is borne out of the fact that we have grown as Ghanaians to understand the significance of Democracy by adhering or recognizing persistently the rule of law as a guiding philosophy needed to ensure the consolidation of peace as an indispensable ingredient needed to facilitate development and growth in our country, Ghana.

Our electoral processes have come a long way and have gone through a series of transitions for them to become acceptable standards to meeting international expectations for improved participatory democracy.

The series of passage of constitutional instruments (CI) designed to improve our electoral processes through the Electoral Commission have strengthened the credibility of electioneering processes of the Republic of which have led to the consolidation of peace in the country and the determination of our leaders for the past twenty-eight years without any violent upheaval.

We are fully aware that our laws completely indicate or recommend the independence of the Electoral Commission as the only constitutionally mandated body to organize elections and officially declare elections results.

Electoral disputes are settled by a court of competent jurisdiction and these are all constitutional practices or laws that have contributed hugely to the achievement of international electoral positive image of the Republic.

Prior to the Official Declaration of the Presidential and Parliamentary Election 2020 by the constitutionally recognized body, the Electoral Commission of the Republic of Ghana, the National Democratic Congress held a Press Conference to inform Ghanaians that they had won or secured or garnered 140 Parliamentary Seats without providing any statistical evidence or proof for us as Ghanaians to interrogate to determine the authenticity of their claim for the facts available now as officially stated by the constitutionally mandated body, the Electoral Commission of the Republic of Ghana relative to the compilation or collation of the 275 Parliamentary Seats, the New Patriotic Party has garnered (137) Parliamentary Seats; the National Democratic Congress has (137) Parliamentary Seats. (1) Independent Member of Parliament, FOMENA Constituency. 

When the Electoral Commission indicated they would be doing the official declaration of the Presidential and Parliamentary results 2020, the National Democratic Congress again held another press conference to inform Ghanaians that they would not accept any electoral results designed to subvert the sovereign will of the people of Ghana and thereafter asked their members or party supporters to jubilate for they are of the greatest conviction that they have won the Presidential Race of the Presidential and Parliamentary Election 2020.

These statements and other distorted statements with regards to the actual results of the Presidential and Parliamentary 2020 polls made by the NDC leaders especially Former President John Dramani Mahama eventually incited their members to besiege the facade of the premises of the Electoral Commission prior to the official Declaration of the Presidential Results 2020.

After the official Declaration of the Presidential Results by the Electoral Commissioner or the Chief Returning Officer of the Electoral Commission of the Republic of Ghana, Madam Jean Mensah, which contained pronouncement of the re-election of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, the persistent usual posturing or conduct of the Flagbearer and the functionaries of the National Democratic Congress as captured in their Press statements or general remarks was not far from inciting their party supporters to embarking on a series of nation-wide protests to express refusal to concede defeat for they believe that figures have been manipulated in favour of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo whose re-election in the Presidential polls 2020 to the position of the President of the Republic of Ghana is backed by statistical evidence or proof as presented by the electoral commission.

We would also like to seize this wonderful moment to commend and subsequently congratulate the Electoral Commission of Ghana headed by Mrs Jean Mensah, her Commissioners and Staff in Organising a successful voter registration coupled with a peaceful incident free, transparent and fair elections in the midst of the deadly pandemic, COVID-19.

The Presidential and Parliamentary election has been acclaimed by the observer community, locally and internationally as the most free and fair of all our elections since the commencement of our Fourth Republican Democratic Dispensation starting exclusively from 1992.

We must state with emphasis that behaviour of the leadership of the NDC in inciting their followers against the EC and subsequently accusing the Ghanaian Media for conniving with the Ruling New Patriotic Party to rig the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary polls is unfortunate for they have not provided any material of evidential value to authenticate their claims.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, we, Members of GAAM, bear no grudge against the NDC if His Excellency, Former Flagbearer John Dramani Mahama has a genuine reason to refuse to concede defeat for the recent past Presidential and Parliamentary Elections 2020 or if Mr. Mahama and his NDC followers believe that their FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT as citizens of this sovereign country has been violated, we would like to remind them in reference to CHAPTER FIVE of the 1992 Constitution in article 12 which states that; "The fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in this chapter shall be respected and upheld by the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary and all other organs of the government and it's agencies and, where applicable to them, by all natural and legal persons in Ghana, and shall be enforceable by the courts as provided for in this Constitution.

Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, creed or gender shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this Chapter but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of other and for the public."

It is in this vain that we are calling on Mr John Mahama and the NDC to resort to the legal backing practice by proceeding to a competent court of jurisdiction for redress for any electoral concerns they may have relative to the Presidential and Parliamentary elections 2020.

However, in his own statement after the 2012 general elections, Mr. Mahama advised the then Presidential Candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his party to resort to the law court for any suspicion of a rigged elections.

We therefore encourage NDC leadership to chart a course already blazed by the NPP in 2012 by going to court with their body of evidence to challenge the election results as law abiding citizens.

Failure to do so, will only deepen the perception out there of a party run only on the whims and caprices of its demigod, John Dramani Mahama.

We wish to state also that, we are very much worried about the series of unexplained burnings of strategic Markets designed for commence in Accra: The Kantamanto Market and Kaneshie Market respectively. We don’t want to believe these series of unexplained burnings could be attributable to incendiary behaviour of some people who wish to create strategically fear and panic to compel government to meet certain demands of theirs.

If it is so, we will like to urge the security forces to deal ruthlessly with any unscrupulous behaviour that threatens the peace and stability of this nation. Nobody, and we repeat nobody has the right to misbehave in the name of a rigged election and cause mayhem. The laws of Ghana must be applied holistically without partiality or favour.

At this juncture, we wish to extend our congratulatory message to President-Elect, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo whose second constitutional mandate as entrusted to him by Ghanaians of which will commence in January 7, 2020 to enable him to continue to render his competent leadership of services for development and growth in Ghana.

We would like to finally assure the President Elect H.E NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFFO-ADDO, the Transitional Team led by Hon. Akosua Frema Opare of our unflinching support as they prepare the path for yet another historic Swearing In Ceremony of the President Elect.

To our electorates in Greater Accra Region and across the country, we wish to advise you not to allow yourselves to be used as vessels to cause any disturbances in any form of shape to subvert the Peace and Security of this country just for the interest of Mr. John Mahama and parochial interests of his party Apparatchiks.

Thank you all for coming and may the Lord bless you.