Who won the 2004 general elections?

Mrs. Rawlings was at her best elements. She raved, raged, abused, cursed and threatened, and drummed it into the ears of all who cared to listen that she and her husband were in the driver's seat. She let it be known that John Evans Atta Mills was their employee whose services could be dispensed with anytime he acted ultra vires. But he would forever remain their darling boy if he danced to the tune of their music. After all he who pays the piper dictates the tune.

Of all the controversial pronouncements made by the former first couple, including that on “identification haircut”, none promises to be as far reaching and fundamentally engaging as the warning to Mills to go ahead and make John Dramani Mahama his Vice Presidential Candidate, if he, Mills has balls in between his legs. At least, that was what one could infer from Mrs. Rawlings threats.

Ghanaians were therefore eagerly waiting to see who would blink the eyelid in this apparent showdown between their first couple and their protégé, John Evans Atta Mills.

The Rawlingses attempt to cage or gag the learned Professor is an indication that all is not well with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or worst still the Nefarious Destructive Cancer, otherwise referred to as the Non Democratic Contraption.

DOUBLE HUMILIATION

In fact, Atta Mills appeared initially to have suffered a double humiliation as his major constituency; the Rawlingses dumped him on his choice of John Dramani Mahama, Bole-Bamboi MP as his Vice Presidential nominee.

The other had to do with the Azorka's, a dreaded Gestapo outfit, which, hitherto, had been used to make recalcitrant members fall in line with the Rawlingses position on policy matters or issue.

The scenario depicted John Evans Atta Mills, NDC's Presidential Candidate, otherwise referred to as 'Asomdwehene' by his devotees and admirers, as sitting on spikes, thereby making his seat very uncomfortable.

Perhaps, it was an attempt to fortify himself in his war of attrition with his erstwhile political god-parents that the learned Professor himself became a devotee of the man from Ikotun Egbe in Lagos, Temitope Joshua.

But if what the Rawlingses want is for their protégé to be subservient, submissive and kowtow to their whims and caprices, they might be in for a rude shock of their lives.

The scenario is similar to what the Americans did to Saddam Hussein in his war with Iran. The Americans, having armed Saddam Hussein to become a monster in the sub-region, now expected him to do their biddings but that was not to be, for it wasn't long before Saddam attempted to exert his independence.

The Americans did so to Osama bin Laden, and General Manuel Noriega of Panama. In all these instances, the results of the conflict were catastrophic. Now that Atta Mills has called off the bluff of the former first couple, we should expect the Rawlingses and their former darling boy, to be engaged in some form of altercations for some time.

Both parties will dig very deep into their trenches. The coming days will witness the firing of salvos from the armouries of the combatants and it will remain to be seen how well the NDC will bring its diplomacy to resolve the issues between the two former friends. But whatever is the case, the relationship between the Mills and the Rawlingses will never be the same.

President Chiluba of Zambia virtually installed Levi Mwanawasa as President, despite the cries and allegations of the opposition that the election was rigged. What happened? Mwanawasa turned the searchlight on his mentor, Chiluba and accused him of corruption. The relationship between the two friends has been on downward trend ever since.

Earlier on in the 1980's, President Ahidjo of the Cameroon nurtured Paul Biya to become his Vice and later installed him as President when he was leaving office. What happened next will shock readers to the marrow of their bones.

Paul Biya and his security outfit stage-managed a coup d'etat and accused Ahidjo of masterminding the coup with the sole intention of eliminating Paul Biya. Wonders, they say, shall never end .A court martial quickly set up to try the 'mutineers' sentenced the former President to death in absentia. Ex- President Ahidjo died an ignoble death in exile. Friends today, enemies tomorrow

Close by is our friend, Olusegun Obasanjo whose hand-picked successor, Alhaji Musa Yar Adua is dealing decisively with him. He has virtually overturned every policy decision made by Obasanjo. What can you say to that? Shakespeare was perhaps right when he said in his play, Macbeth” that “There is no act to find the mind's construction in the face.” This then brings us to the issue of who won the 2004 Presidential Election.

WAR DRUMS

The Nefarious Destructive Cancer has, for long, been beating the war drums. On what? The party claims it won the 2004 Presidential Election, but was cheated out of her hard-won victory.

This time, the manipulators of the members of the party say that no amount of intimidation or coercion will stand between them and victory. They went ahead to state that under no condition would they accept an Akufo Addo victory. Holala!

At long last, the cat has been let out of the bag, all thanks to the wife of the ex-dictator and betrayer of people's mandate, Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings. She has spoken to set the records straight.

Her vituperations said it all. Hear the 'She who must be obeyed' in the nefarious contraption venting her anger and frustrations on air at listeners who cared to listen, and you cannot help but conclude that rough time lies ahead of the nefarious contraption.

Maybe, it is payback time. The Gods are annoyed with them for all the atrocities they have perpetrated against their fellow human beings. But this is only just the beginning. Much more difficult and dangerous moments lie further ahead.

These dangers are holding the territory of the Nefarious Destructive Cancer hostage. But who will rescue them? Only remorse and a turnabout to the Almighty God will save them.

Now, hear the former First Lady speak: “I think that they were treating him with kid's gloves in 2004 and allowed him to do what he wants, but this is a crucial election for us and we have to do things properly”.

According to her, Rawlings was for the nomination of John Mahama in 2004, but Mills insisted on Mumuni. The decision met with strong opposition from the top echelon of the party including their then darling boy, Obed Asamoah.

“Mills was allowed to have his way but look at where it ended us”, concluded Mrs. Rawlings.

Oyiwa! What does this tell you about the NDC's allegation that the NPP rigged the 2004 Elections? Mere fabrications and utter lies, devoid of merit! Where did the nomination of Alhaji Mumuni lead the NDC? The party lost the election! Period!

Why all the fuss about rigging? In the first place, who appointed members of the Electoral Commission? The Nefarious Destructive Cancer did! If anything at all, we should expect the members to tilt their decisions in favour of those who appointed them.

Also, the transparent ballot boxes will make rigging at the polling stations almost impossible. If we want to talk of 'real rigging', none comes near the electoral coup perpetrated in the Volta Region during the 1992, 1996 and 2000 elections.

THE VOLTA SHOCKER

Let me digress a little and give you one example. In some polling stations in the Volta region, during counting of ballot papers, it was observed that the Presiding Officer kept tickling his ears at regular intervals. On closer examination, it was detected that he had put some indelible ink behind the earlobe, and anytime he comes across a ballot paper in favour of the NPP, he tickles his ears.

His fingers would then be smeared with the ink. He would then use the fingers to thumb-print another picture on the same ballot so that you will have two thumb prints on it.

This would nullify the ballot paper which would have been in favour of the New Patriotic Party. This was discovered but only after the harm had been done.
At some polling stations in the Volta region, the NPP polling agents found out that many people, after voting, rejoined the queue to vote again.

When the agents complained, they were asked what their worry was. They were told they could also join the queue if they wanted. But poor orphans in the midst of hostile family members, what could they do? They were greatly out-numbered by the National Democratic Congress. They had to accept the picture being enacted right in front of their eyes as some of the realities of life.

The above are a few examples of the many irregularities that went on during the elections.

Then came the mother of all revelations, and this time, it came from no other person than the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda.

He said it loud and clear that during the 2000 elections, the NPP deceived the people and they got the mandate to administer the country. In 2004, the NPP came again and lied that the problems they encountered were such that they needed four more years to tidy up affairs. The people once again bought their lies and voted for them. Period!

These were Collins Dauda's own words. Juxtapose his statement with that of the co-owner of the NDC and you cannot help, but conclude that the confused nefarious contraption is being economical with truth.

They did not win the elections. In fact, there was no way they could have won the elections. The facts on the ground do not support their contention. That assertion is actually, a figment of one's own imaginations and day-dreaming.

Ghanaians have, since the Obed episode (in which he was nearly lynched) watched with utmost dismay, the National Democratic Congress, metamorphose into a union of violence, intrigues, bickering, back-biting, intra fighting and formation of unnatural allies.

The naming of John Dramani Mahama as Atta Mills' running mate and the manner in which the Rawlingses were schemed out of the whole show has depicted Atta Mills as a spoon-fed politician who is not a political strategist. Friendship is something which should be valued and cherished.

It should not just be discarded on the altar of expediency just like that. Will Atta Mills and his new allies be able to look up the Rawlingses in the eye after the elections have been fought and either won or lost?