African Elections Project (Accra)
3 January 2009
Accra — In his major speech to the press, after the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana announced Prof. John Atta Mills as president elect, the ruling government's presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo congratulated President-Elect Atta Mills with the pledge of working with him to heal and unite the divided country.
In a statement to the press, Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling NPP party, who lost the December 2008 elections, said the NPP was appalled at the lack of action of the EC in not taking into account his party's reported allegation of election irregularities and election-related criminalities which took place in the Volta region of Ghana.
He also claimed that his party supporters are being intimated and called on the out-going president and the security forces to protect his supporters.
He concluded his address by thanking the numerous supporters who voted for him and commended the work of numerous election observers.
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Good for Ghana and hopefully for the rest of Africa. If an African country, such as Ghana, can hold free and fair elections and have a smooth transfer of power why can't other African countries do the same ? There are multiple ethnicities and kingdoms in Ghana too, just as it is the case with many other African countries.
Africans are tired of excuses that somehow seem to suggest that African countries are not capable of democratic rule - to the absurd extent that they cannot even free and fair elections!
Let this be a lesson to the rest of Africa, especially the recent lackeys (to criminal rule) in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Guinea, and Mauritania.
I am very happy but also sad why can't order African countries cant do the same???????????This should be a big lesson for all the African countries but we are tired and sick of thier tricks.God bless us all.
I don't know anything about any African Country apart from Nigeria(My home Country). I have spent an equal number of years in Nigeria and the US where I am today. One thing is clear:There may be a higher level of intolerance for electoral corruption in Ghana and the United States than attains in Nigeria. This may be due to the fact that we have a large number of very poor people in Nigeria than in Ghana or the United States of America. There was a time I was tempted to suggest that it is easier to control a country with a relatively small population than a country with a fat population. But, I realise that the US has a higher population than Nigeria, yet,does well in elections. Dont get me wrong! There are lots of useless voters in America as we have in other places. For example, we have some people who donot know that the election is about which candidate is likely to ensure economic and social justice. You find out however in South Florida some Wachos who vote according to their tribes. Some of them are one isuue voters. So, congrats to Ghana for a job well done. We donot expect that in Nigeria. Yrs indeed Phillip Kientimi Owi(Prof-Math)
Because Ghana is one of the few African countries that values freedom over stability. It is not possible to have both, and anyone who tells you otherwise (Marxists) is trying to dupe you into slavery.
Congratulations to the people and leadership of Ghana! This is a good indication that democracy can and must prevail in power devolution processes, anywhere in Africa. Governments facing upcoming elections in Senegal and elsewhere in Africa must follow suit and recognize the right of their people to choose their own leaders.
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