Today in 2013: I never rigged the 2012 elections – Mahama

John Dramani Mahama during his time as Ghana’s president in 2013 refused to accept the tag that his party rigged the 2012 General elections that saw the opposition NPP challenging the results at the Supreme Court.

Speaking in an interview on BBC on May 29, 2013, Mr. Mahama mentioned that: “I know we didn’t rig that election and I’m sure the Supreme Court will come out with its verdict”

On August 29, 2013, Ghana’s Supreme court dismissed the case brought before it seeking annulment of over 3 million votes of the 2012 Presidential election.

The opposition NPP’s Flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo in a press conference after the final verdict said, “… while I disagree with the courts decision, I accept it. I accept that what the court says brings finality to the election dispute. We shall not be asking for a review of the verdict so we can all move on n the interest of our nation”.

Read the full story originally published on May 29, 2013, on Ghanaweb

Ghana’s President, Mr. John Mahama, has said categorically that he and his party did not rig his country’s 2012 general elections.

Mr. Mahama also said the challenge of his legitimacy at the Supreme Court by the Presidential Candidate of his country’s major opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP, is no distraction to his administration.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and two others argue that the President and the country’s Electoral Commission conspired to rig last year’s elections.

They have, therefore, petitioned the country’s Supreme Court to nullify and overturn the election results and declare Nana Akufo-Addo the winner of the Presidential poll.

The Ghanaian President, however, told the BBC from France, on Wednesday May 29, 2013 during a three-day visit that: “I know we didn’t rig that election and I’m sure the Supreme Court will come out with its verdict”.

President Mahama said he is the least perturbed by the court case.

“Why should it worry me?” Mr. Mahama asked the BBC’s Farayi Mungazi who wanted to know if the Court case really was not impacting negatively on the running of his Administration.

Mr. Mahama noted that: “I wouldn’t be in France if it was something that was distracting me from doing the work that I have to do”.

He said: “I serve at the pleasure of the Ghanaian people and the Ghanaian people voted for me”.

The Ghanaian President said he had a lot of trust in his Country’s Supreme Court to adjudicate the matter appropriately and thus he harboured no anxieties.

“Ghana has come a long way in constitutional governance; we have a fantastic judicial system; there are challenges, I must admit but I believe that the Supreme Court is able to do its job and so I’m leaving the Supreme Court to do its job, and I am doing my job”.