EC Did Not Pad Votes In Favour Of Akufo-Addo, Says Jean Mensa

The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa, in her election petition witness statement, has maintained that President Akufo-Addo is the legitimate winner of the 2020 elections.

 

 

She asserted that the commission did not pad President Akufo-Addo’s votes as alleged by the petitioner in the case, John Mahama.

In her statement, Mrs. Mensa said: “a tabulation of all Valid Votes obtained by all 12 Candidates as declared by the [EC] on 9th December 2020 and captured on Form 13 adds up to a total of 13,121,111.”

Mr. Mahama’s argument is that neither he nor President Akufo-Addo attained a clear majority during the 2020 polls because of the omission of the Techiman South constituency from the declaration.

 

 

 

 

He is asking the Supreme Court to order a re-run of the presidential election for him and the incumbent.

But the Returning Officer of the 2020 Presidential election insisted that President Akufo-Addo obtained more than the 50% of the valid votes cast, which is required to win Presidential elections in Ghana.

“The calculations showed that the 2nd Respondent [President Akufo-Addo] had obtained more than 50% of the valid votes. It was also clear that whatever results were outstanding at the time could not mathematically change the more than 50% of the valid votes as obtained by the 2nd Respondent.”

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Mahama also argued that the results declared by the EC on December 9, 2020, would have been different if that of Techiman South had been added.
Responding to Mr. Mahama’s concerns, Mrs. Mensa indicated that the Techiman South Election results have since been released adding that the results have vindicated the “mathematics based on which the result was declared on 9th December 2020.”

 

 

 

Mr. Mahama is currently seeking to halt the election petition until the Supreme Court reviews it’s ruling on his interrogatories to the EC.

He is currently seeking to halt the election petition until the Supreme Court reviews its ruling on his interrogatories to the EC.

 

 

 

The stay of proceedings application will be heard on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.