[ 2021-03-04 ]

NDC admits losing 2020 presidential election
Barely a day to the Supreme Court’s ruling on
the 2020 election petition hearing, the opposition
National Democratic Congress (NDC) has subtly
admitted losing the presidential last year.

It would be recalled that lawyers for the
flagbearer of NDC, John Mahama, on December 30,
2020, after series of street protests by
supporters of the party, filed a lawsuit,
challenging the results of the 2020 presidential
election.



In a statement at the time, the NDC indicated that
the petition detailed “serious violations of the
1992 Constitution by the Electoral Commission and
its Chairperson and Returning Officer for the
Presidential Election, Mrs. Jean Adukwei Mensa in
the conduct of their constitutional and legal
responsibility.”

According to the party, the petition, among other
things, sought a declaration from the Supreme
Court to the effect that, “the purported
declaration of the results of the 2020
Presidential Election on the 9th day of December
2020 is unconstitutional, null and void and of no
effect whatsoever.”

But after weeks of legal tussle, the party seemed
to have admitted that indeed, its candidate, Mr
Mahama lost the election.

Despite calling for a rerun between Mr Mahama and
incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo In its
Petition, the NDC in a letter dated March 2, 2021,
and addressed to the Electoral Commission
Chairperson, Jean Mensa, said it did not obtain
required 50.1 percent to win the race.

According to the letter signed by NDC General
Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, requesting for
a refund of its presidential and parliamentary
filing fees, the NDC indicated that it obtained
47.397%.

In the letter dated March 2, 2021, the NDC’s
Functional Executive Committee (FEC) informed the
EC boss that “it is formally requesting for a
refund of deposits it made in respect of its
presidential and parliamentary candidates.”

The party cited Regulations 46 (1) and 46 (3) of
C.I. 127 to back its demand.

According to NDC, Regulations 46 (1) and 46 (3) of
C.I. 127 “spell out the conditions for a refund
or forfeiture of deposits made by presidential or
parliamentary candidates.

It noted that regulations spell out that “a
presidential or parliamentary candidate must
obtain a minimum of 25% and 12.5% respectively in
a general election to qualify for a refund.”

Source - Happyfm

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