Former Prez Mahama: A ‘bitter loser’ and ‘itinerant deceiver’?

Readers, according to Wikipedia, a ‘bitter loser’ is a person who becomes very upset or angry when he or she loses a game or a contest.

Some political analysts, however, describe ‘an itinerant deceiver’ as a deceitful person who preaches the basic ‘political redemption message’ in a notorious manner, while travelling around to different groups of people; within a relatively short period of time.

Readers, gradually but steadily, many Ghanaian voters and political actors are increasingly becoming sophisticated with their understanding of the trending nature of our nation’s politics.

The ‘new sophistication’ of Ghanaian voters and political actors seems to be hugely influenced by the contents of the multiplicity of media networks in the country, particularly the social media.

And so, just recently, when former President John Dramani Mahama started his  “Thank-You-Tour” in the country, many Ghanaian voters and political actors keenly ‘followed him’  with admixture of interests.

As the name implies, Mr Mahama’s ‘Thank-You-Tour’ was expected to be used to thank Ghanaians who voted for him and his NDC party during the December 7, 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.

This is against the backdrop that Mr Mahama lost the presidential election while his party also failed to win majority seats in Parliament.

Some political analysts, however, say the ‘Thank-You-Tour’ is just a ‘smokescreen platform’ for Mr Mahama to launch his 2024 presidential campaign, contending that, “he has ‘elected’ himself ahead of his own party, thus, breaking all the required selection protocols.”

In the various towns and cities across some of the 16 regions of the country, where he visited, Mr Mahama has reportedly made certain ‘outracious’ statements concerning Ghana’s December 2020 elections.

Indeed, some political watchers even claim that Mr Mahama’s utterances during his ‘Thank-You-Tour’, betray him as a ‘bitter loser’, an ‘itinerant deceiver’ and above all,  ‘a notorious liar’ .

Readers, let us examine some of Mr Mahama’s alleged ‘Thank-You-Tour’ utterances.

Mr Mahama is reported to have said: “The military was used to influence and declare the December 7, 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.”

He is reported to have also stated: “The Electoral Commission thumb-printed one million ballot papers and stuffed ballot boxes to favour President Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party.”

Again, he reportedly said: “But for a lot of scheming that took place, the NDC would have won the 2020 elections,” contending that” the polls were not credible, transparent, free and fair as the Electoral Commission claimed.”

Expectedly, the Electoral Commission has swiftly responded to Mr Mahama’s allegations; describing them as ‘palpable untrue’ and “an attempt to undermine the credibility of the electoral system.”

Responding to the allegations at a press conference in Accra on October 25, 2021, the Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Eric Bossman Asare said; “at no point was the military used in the declaration of the 2020 election results.”

Dr Bossman Asare stated: “The election results declared by the Electoral Commission, were similar to the results announced by the media houses in the country…

“The media houses and other observers also picked their data right from the ground and the collation centres and the results were not different from what the Electoral Commission declared.”

Dr Bossman Asare added: “We urge the former President to provide evidence of the stuffing of ballot boxes by the Electoral Commission,” stressing that, “this is not a matter to be ignored.”

Mr Peter Mac-Manu, NPP’s Director of Elections, describes former President Mahama’s  ballot stuffing claim as “bogus, spurious and loose talk.”

Speaking on Joy FM on October 25, 2021, Mr Mac-Manu stated: “If anybody understands the content of the pink sheets, you would know that it is impossible to dump thumb-printed ballot papers outside what the Electoral Commission brought to the polling stations,” adding that “people should not be talking loosely like that.”

Mr Ben Ephson, Managing Editor of The Daily Dispatch newspaper also says:”Stuffing of ballot boxes in Ghana’s current electoral dispensation cannot work,” stressing that , “Mr Mahama can go to court, if he has any evidence to that effect.”

Speaking on Morning Starr radio last Tuesday, Mr Ephson described Mr Mahama’s one million ballot printing and stuffing allegation as “baseless and reckless.”

Readers, remember? The ‘Thank-You-Tour’ utterances of former President Mahama are not new at all!!!

While waiting for the declaration of the 2020 election results, Mr Mahama said at a press conference in Accra that: “We have won 140 parliamentary seats and what else do we expect?”

He stressed: “I am happy Ghanaians have rejected the Akufo-Addo government,” and asked his NDC supporters to take to the streets and jubilate.

Additionally, Mr Mahama stated: “The Akufo-Addo government is using the military to change the results of the elections,” contending that, “the Electoral Commission is also attempting to change the election results to favour Akufo-Addo and his NPP but we will not allow them to steal the elections.”

Indeed, after the declaration of the presidential results, Mr Mahama  and the NDC roundly rejected the results , claiming that the will of the people had been subverted and that “the proper verdict of the people has been stolen.”

So, readers, was it, therefore, not  very strange to see Mr Mahama at the Supreme Court of Ghana, claiming that per the election figures declared by the Electoral Commission, none of the 12 presidential candidates obtained  more than 50 per cent of the total valid votes cast, as required by our National Constitution ?

And strangely too, in his petition to the Supreme Court, Mr Mahama “deleted”  his ‘stolen verdict’ chorus ; “the government using the military to change the results of the elections”; and “the Electoral Commission attempting to change the election results to favour Akufo-Addo.”

So, readers, without providing any evidence to support his claims; can we, therefore, agree with some Ghanaian political watchers; that Mr Mahama is now ‘a bitter loser’, ‘an itinerant deceiver’ and ‘a notorious liar’?

asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)

By G. Frank Asmah