Kweku Baako, Inusah Fuseini disagree over which party is bad loser

Kweku Baako, Managing editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper believes National Democratic Congress (NDC) were bad losers in elections. But Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini thinks otherwise.

A text message from a listener read on Newsfile sparked controversy about which political party- National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was a sore loser after elections.

Mr. Baako said the NPP accepted defeat in the 1996 general elections and read a statement issued by then candidate John Agyekum Kufuor.

“I and the Great Alliance accept the final results of the elections released by the Electoral Commission two days ago. This is without prejudice to the normal legitimate protest against the many incidence of molestation, malpractices and irregularities during and after the elections, reported all over the country for redress by the appropriate State authorities. On this note I congratulate President Rawlings and the NDC and wish him well”, the statement read.

He also revealed that in elections 2008, Nana Akuffo Addo, presidential candidate of the NPP wrote to congratulate late President Mills in 2009.

“This morning 3rd January 2009. The chairman of the Electoral Commission discharged his constitutional duty and declared Professor J.E.A Mills president-elect. I acknowledge Electoral Commission's declaration and congratulate Professor Mills”.

But turning his attention to the NDC record he said it was “ on record that even the great Professor Mills” said in 2006 that he had not “conceded” to election 2004 loss.

But Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini sandwiched between arguments by Gabby Otchere- Darko of the Danquah Institute and Kweku Baako said it was the NPP who were rather bad losers.

He recalled that in 1992, the NPP rejected the results of the presidential elections, boycotted the parliamentary and wrote a book titled “stolen verdict”.

He went further into history to cite that even president Nkrumah's victory in 1951 was challenged by the United Party (UP), the forerunner of the NPP.

Kweku Baako said he had never heard of this claim. The 1951 elections was organised by the British.

Gabby Otchere-Darko on his part saw things from the lens of percentages. He said the NPP had lost four elections -1992, 1996,2008,2012 but had challenged two -1992 and 2012. This in percentage terms was 50%.

He also analysed NDC results and said the party had lost 2000 and 2004 but had refused to accept 2004 results. This was also a 50% rejection rate.

He concluded amidst laughter that as far as he was concerned the final score was 1-1.