Former President John Dramani Mahama has expressed reservations over the administration of elections in Ghana compared to that of Nigeria.
Mr Mahama, who is on a pre-election tour to Nigeria under the auspices of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), was impressed with the faith that all the candidates and parties have in the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria.
He indicated that every political party in Nigeria has testified that INEC has acknowledged and taken their concerns into account.
He lamented that same cannot be attributed to Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC). According to him, the EC used to be amongst the top election administration organisations in the world.
“I can’t say the same for my Electoral Commission (EC), which was once among the top election administration organizations in the world,” he said.
Mr Mahama bemoaned what he called “hostility” meted out by the “EC and her other Commissioners” to the NDC, saying he wishes the EC could inspire the same level of confidence in all parties like the INEC.
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However, the former president believes that his wish would remain so due to what he described as the EC’s rejection of all efforts by the National Peace Council to organize a meeting between the Commission and the two major political parties, the NDC and the NPP.
“Regrettably, I am not hopeful this will happen when we have an EC that has blatantly spurned all efforts by the National Peace Council to host a meeting between the Commission and the two major political parties, the NDC and NPP,” he said.
Former President John Dramani Mahama heads The West African Elders Forum (WAEF) in a duty to ensure a peaceful election as Nigeria seeks to elect a new president.
The Forum consists of former leaders in the sub–region including former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, former Beninese President, Boni Yayi, Fatoumata Tambajang, former Vice President of the Gambia, former Burkinabe prime minister and president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Kadre Ouedraogo and Dr Erastus Mwencha, former Deputy Chair of the African Union (AU).
Mr Mahama is expected to be on the ground for the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the March 11, 2023, state elections.