2020 polls: 'Ghana’s peace rests on you; brace up for D-Day challenges' – Ayariga to EC

The peace of Ghana depends on how the Electoral Commission conducts the December 7th, 2020 polls, the flagbearer of the All People’s Congress (APC) has told the election management body.

While filing his presidential nomination on Thursday, 8 October 2020, Mr. Hassan Ayariga commended the EC for a few improvements but also pointed out that he foresees a lot of challenges on the day of the election because the Commission will be using an untested voter roll.

“I must say the Commission has had a lot of challenges in the past with political parties filing and submitting their forms and disqualifications; a lot of people had lost hope in the past administration and I hope that with you, as Chairperson, will restore confidence and hope in the Commission and Ghanaians will trust in your leadership”, Ayariga told Mrs. Jean Mensa.

“We believe that the 2020 election is going to be a different election altogether.

“So, far, you’ve shown the way by giving us five days [to file our nomination] and we are grateful for the five days.

“You’ve also shown another way by sitting here and receiving all the nominations.

“In the last one, we only saw certain people coming without the Commissioner herself and we were doubting our importance”, he contrasted.

Additionally, Mr. Ayariga said: “I also want you to know that we just had a new voter register.

“I want to appeal to you to brace your belt very well because it has never been used for any elections and there will be challenges on the D-DAY.

“This one, whether we like it or not, we’ll see some minor challenges, so, prepare adequately for the challenges ahead and prepare that it’s not going to be an easy election if it is conducted on the 7th of December”, he noted.

Mr. Ayariga also told Jean Mensa-led EC to learn to take advice from the political parties when they volunteer the same.

“Another issue has to do with you taking our advice.

"As we stand here, we might not be the best, but the little appeal we put before you should be considered. And you know that this is the provisional register; we have gone through, we have seen some minor mistakes. I think also that because it’s a provisional register, definitely, there are little challenges that will encounter, so, we don’t believe that it’s going to be a perfect thing but the challenges will come and go, so, let’s try as much as possible to look at these challenges so that we can have a very peaceful election and a peaceful election today, will depend on the EC: how you conduct it, how you manage the people who come with grievances, how you talk to them and how you run this election”.