President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Tuesday said he wants to win the December Presidential polls on merit and not through an election that did not reflect the will of Ghanaians.
“I am not interested in any crooked results and I do not want to be a President elected by deceit,” he said when he formally filed his nomination at the Electoral Commission (EC) Headquarters, Accra to contest the December 7, 2020 Presidential elections as the candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The President, 76, was acclaimed the NPP’s flagbearer to seek another four-year mandate after he emerged the only personality to file for the slot when the party opened and closed nominations earlier in the year.
He will battle his main opponent and predecessor, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress, for a third consecutive time. Mr Mahama has questioned consistently the EC’s processes to conduct a credible election.
But filing his nomination on Tuesday, President Akufo-Addo said when Ghanaians decide to extend his mandate for another term in government, it should not be through a flawed process but upon an open clear statement of the choice and will of the people.
“I look forward to a contest that would be fairly conducted so that if indeed by the grace of God Almighty that I am again the choice of the Ghanaian people, it will be one that would be freely and openly demonstrated,” he stated.
The President expressed confidence in the work done so far by the Commission, saying its processes had given him and majority of Ghanaians “considerable confidence that the new leadership of the EC was competent and committed to free, fair, credible and transparent elections.”
He thanked the Commission for the expeditious process that he had been taken through in filing his nomination, and said the steps taken so far by the electoral body was important for democratic governance.
“We are counting on you to be the arbiter that holds the scales evenly to all contestants. What the Ghanaian people are expecting is that the election in December 7 will be an election conducted in peace, freedom and security and in transparency so that the results of the elections will reflect the will of the people.
“Elections are not meant to be decided by the EC, or the officials that work here…you are the referees of the contest. Elections are to be decided by the people of Ghana and we are hoping that the arrangements that you have put in place will enable the Ghanaian people to manifest their will on December 7 and choose the next government,” he said.
The President was accompanied by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Frema Osei Opare, NPP’s National Chairman, Freddie Blay, General Secretary John Boadu and Campaign Manager, Peter Mac-Manu.
GNA