Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says Ex-President John Dramani Mahama‘s call for an independent investigator to probe into his ballot stuffing allegations against the Electoral Commission of Ghana is a complete waste.

Former President John Mahama has accepted the challenge by the Electoral Commission (EC) to the Police to investigate his claims of one million vote fraud in the 2020 elections but says he will only testify before an independent investigator.

Speaking on TV XYZ on Tuesday, November 9, he said; “That is what I want, they said we should have an investigation, let’s have an investigation. But I don’t know if the police are the best to do that. I don’t know what the police are going to investigate. We want an independent inquiry or let’s go to ECOWAS.

“ECOWAS has an electoral body, let them come and investigate Ghana’s election of 2020. I will welcome it, I will testify. Under oath, I will swear an oath and testify. I won’t run away from the witness box,” he added.

But Kweku Baako has rubbished Mr. Mahama’s demand as he wonders how the former President is going to trust ECOWAS when their Observer Mission has already declared the 2020 elections free and fair.

Known for his impeccable record-keeping, Mr. Baako pulled out a publication by the Daily Graphic on December 10th last year under the headline ‘Emulate Ghana’s Election Conduct- ECOWAS Observer Mission Tells African Countries’ in which ECOWAS was impressed with the elections.

International Observer Missions’ Statements

At a post-election meeting of the Heads of International Election Observation Missions (IEOMs) to Ghana’s 2020 elections, the Head of the ECOWAS Observer Mission, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said; “It is pleasing to know that Ghana has lived up to its expectations in the conduct of elections in a free, fair and credible manner.”

Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf, who is a former President of Liberia, reportedly advised African countries to emulate Ghana, which, according to her, was a model for Africa, to instill the much-needed confidence in the electoral systems in their various countries, the publication further read.

Also the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), Mr Javier Nart, is quoted as saying “voting was well conducted and political party agents were present at all polling stations, where the verification of voters was implemented. Counting was transparent in the presence of party agents, who signed the results and received copies, which is a critical transparency measure.

“Fears about violence and vigilantism, fortunately, did not materialise. There were some isolated incidents, even tragic ones,” he stressed.

Needless Call

It appears Mr. Mahama has already lost the battle as Kweku Baako wonders how he’s going to vindicate himself.

“In the wildest imagination, let’s do some hypothesis here. That we have reached this absurd level that ECOWAS has accepted that yes, we are coming to conduct investigations into the generality of the elections, how it was conducted. They will not come minus what their Mission observed.”

”Indeed, I think that you should perceive them as people who are already biased. You don’t trust Ghana Police because maybe they report to the executive or they are under the executive, so we should go beyond Ghanaian borders. Let’s go for ECOWAS electoral body. The electoral body from ECOWAS, already, they’ve bought into their Mission’s report that says the elections were free, fair and credible.”

“This is a waste of precious time and space, in my candid opinion. It’s a sheer waste of precious time and space. Needless call!”, he exclaimed while discussing the issue on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”.

Mr. Baako also believed the opportunity for Mr. Mahama ”to have sworn an oath and vindicated his case is gone with the winds” as he explained that the Ex-President lost the opportunity when he allowed the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia to deputize for him during the election petition hearing at the Supreme Court.

In his view, he (Mahama) should have personally been in the witness box to defend his case.