Okudzeto jabs Mahama over election victory comment

A former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto, has described as “very very unfortunate,” President John Mahama’s recent comment that he won the 2012 elections “cleanly and fairly,” despite the ongoing court challenge of the results.

Mr. Okudzeto says the president “should never have made such a statement”.

The president made the comment when he addressed party supporters at the governing National Democratic Congress’ Headquarters in Accra on Monday to mark the NDC’s 21st anniversary.

He told party members that: “Our victory was won cleanly and fairly,” and expressed confidence that: “…Justice will be served and cannot come to any other conclusion than acknowledging the very transparent, free and fair victory that we won at the elections”.

However, Mr. Okudzeto told XYZ Breakfast Show Host Moro Awudu on Thursday that, the president’s statement is “not right”.

According to Mr. Okudzeto, “the court is there to find out whether the whole of the electoral process was done properly; whether indeed those who were declared to have won, have won; whether indeed there were malpractices in the process”.

He, therefore, found it befuddling for the president to have made those comments saying: “…The court has not come to a conclusion so how can you be making statements to show that the thing was proper?.

“If that’s the case, then why are we in court?” He fumed.

Mr. Okudzeto said the president’s earlier comments that he will abide by whatever verdict the court reaches was “noble” and that he should not have “moved from there” with his latest comments.