'Comfortable lead' was a strategy to minimise frustrations of NDC supporters - Vanderpuije

Europa 16:16 - 29 December 2016

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Speaking on Accra-based Starr 103.5FM Wednesday, Vanderpuije who is also Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo said the statement from the campaign team spokesperson Joyce Bawa on the night of December 7 was strategically made to calm nerves.

Outgoing Sports Minister, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije has explained that the “comfortable lead” mantra which emerged in the heat of the collation of results in the December 7 polls was meant to “assuage the frustrations” of the supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking on Accra-based Starr FM Wednesday, Vanderpuije who is also Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo said the statement from the campaign team spokesperson Joyce Bawa on the night of December 7 was strategically made to calm nerves.

“Let me say that it was strategic. I’ve come to see that it was strategic. We have what we call the boomerang effect; when the expectations of people are so high, if you are not careful and you don’t manage the expectation, and their frustration comes in, they could vent.”

He added that the statement “was to minimise their frustration because the anger that would have come...people would have committed suicide.”

“Even with this, we have reports of people committing suicide. Yes, I’ve heard of about three across the country. People could just not stand it… Even me, I broke down,” the outspoken politician said.

Incumbent President John Mahama conceded defeat to main rival Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP in the evening of Friday, December 9. This was after Charlotte Osei, the EC Chairperson announced Nana Addo as the winner.

She indicated that Nana Addo polled 5, 716,026 million votes representing 53.85 % to beat the incumbent president John Dramani Mahama who had 4, 713,277 million votes representing 44.40 %.