The National Democratic Congress (NDC) needs 60% of total eligible votes in the forthcoming presidential race to stop the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from heading to the court to seek an overturn of the results, President John Mahama has disclosed.
That, for him will ensure that there will not be a repeat of 2012, where the NPP filed a petition at the Supreme Court, seeking the nullification of the results which saw him and the NDC retain power.
The former chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan on December 9, 2012, declared President Mahama winner in the Presidential contest. The president obtained 50.63% of the votes whilst his closest challenger Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP, polled 47.81% of total votes cast.
Due to the slim nature of the result, leaders of the NPP rejected it, claiming that it was rigged in favour of Mahama.
President Mahama said he expects that on voting day all sympathisers of the NDC will come and vote massively.
“This time we need every single vote,” he told the crowd.
“We want everybody to come out and vote so that we will have a high turnout—because this time we don’t want 50.7 percent.
“We want 55, 56, 57, 58 59, 60 percent, because if you get 60 percent or 57 percent our opponents will not be tempted to go to court again. But if we cross it by 0.7 percent, they [will] feel that they can go to court and overturn the result,” Mahama addressed a rally at Akara in the Tempane constituency of the Upper East region.
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