…As more endorsements pour in
The former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has stuck his neck out for the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, declaring him as the right person to become the country’s next president.
According to him, although the former president is not a saint, he has the experience necessary to audit and correct the mess created by the Akufo-Addo administration.
“John Dramani Mahama is not a saint, but he is nobody’s poodle. He has the experience, as a former president, to audit the mess that the Nana Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government will leave behind,” he said.
This comes as the National Executives of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) have unanimously declared their support for the NDC and its flagbearer, Mr Mahama, ahead of Saturday’s general elections.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on yesterday, Wednesday, December 4, 2024, the Deputy General Secretary of the GFP, Jerry Offei Addo, announced that the decision was informed by the alignment of the NDC’s key campaign policies with the GFP’s objectives.
He highlighted initiatives such as the establishment of a Women’s Development Bank, free tertiary education for able-bodied individuals, and the creation of a 24-hour economy, as being consistent with the GFP’s focus on women’s development and the empowerment of the underprivileged.
In a statement also released yesterday, Martin, the man known to have few friends or no permanent friends at all explained that, despite having had differences with John Mahama in the past, Mahama, possesses the experience required to ensure probity and accountability in the country, following President Akufo-Addo’s failure to do so.
“I have had problems with John Dramani Mahama in the past, which are documented on my website. The constitutional situation on our hands, however, demands pragmatism to ensure probity and accountability after an eight-year tenure of government. We need a candidate who can command a sizeable parliamentary representation to actualise an audit of the previous government,” he said.
In one of his epistles released three days before the 2024 general election, he further stated that the president is afraid of being audited by John Mahama.
He thus called on Ghanaians to vote against the NPP on December 7, to defend and preserve the country’s constitution.
“John Dramani Mahama, whose audit Nana Akufo-Addo fears, ought to be the best bet for the integrity of the 1992 Constitution in our present circumstances. The 1992 Constitution, does not enshrine dynasty or inheritance by cronyism, and that is why the electorate should aim for a change in government on 7 December 2024, to defend and preserve the Constitution of our Fourth Republic. Ghana must always come first,” he emphasized.
He also stated that, he would not endorse the candidacy of Dr Bawumia, saying, “I cannot, as a person born in the then NT, recommend Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as a person with the traits of honesty, integrity, and selfless service exhibited by our forebears from the NT to the Republic of Ghana, to be elected on 7 December 2024, as president, symbolising a representation of northerners on an NPP ticket for Ghana.”
Mr Amidu, who also served as Attorney General under the NDC government in the past, described President Nana Akufo-Addo, as the “mother serpent of corruption” after he resigned as the country’s first Special Prosecutor in the year 2020, a role the president gave him to fight corruption.
He believes that, the president did not offer him the supportive environment needed to investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals under the NPP administration.
Mr Offei Addo, who was joined by the party’s acting National Chairman, National Organizer, and National Youth Organizer, dismissed claims that the endorsement was a unilateral decision or would have been opposed by the party’s late founder and former flagbearer, Akua Donkor.
Despite her historical criticism of John Dramani Mahama, he emphasized that the party’s decision was in line with its broader mission and values.
He further refuted speculations that, the GFP’s endorsement was influenced by external inducements from the NDC, stressing that the decision was made in the interest of the nation and the party’s supporters. “We have already begun campaigning for the NDC,” Mr Offei Addo stated, reiterating the GFP’s commitment to ensuring victory for the NDC in the upcoming election.
The GFP’s endorsement, adds to the momentum of the NDC’s campaign, as the country heads to the polls this weekend, following a similar endorsement by the People’s National Convention (PNC) a week ago.
Mr Mahama, has meanwhile, emphasizes the need for a transparent and fair electoral process in Ghana’s December 7 elections, highlighting concerns about irregularities.
He has made a significant statement regarding his acceptance of the 2024 election results.
In an exclusive interview with Thomas Naadi of BBC Africa, Mahama, emphasized that his acceptance of the results would hinge on the transparency and fairness of the electoral process.
When asked if he would accept the election results regardless of the outcome, Mr Mahama responded, “If on the election day, there is widespread ballot snatching and beating of people, and the military moving and intimidate people, and shoot people and thugs are all over the place, rampaging, you want me to accept that result, it will depend on the transparency and fairness of the process.”
Ghana’s general election on December 7, 2024, is set to be a pivotal moment in the country’s democratic journey.
The election, will determine the next president and members of Parliament, with all 275 parliamentary seats up for grabs.
The election come at a time when Ghana is facing significant economic challenges, including high inflation and unemployment rates.
The two main political parties, the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), are in a fierce contest for power.
The NPP’s candidate, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is campaigning under the slogan “It is possible,” with a focus on digitalization and economic diversification.
Meanwhile, Mahama is advocating for policies such as a 24-hour economy and stronger anti-corruption measures, including implementing the recommendations of the auditor general’s report.
