2020 Polls: Mahama has no message so bastardising EC boss – Akpaloo

Former President John Dramani Mahama, the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has no message for Ghanaians going into the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections, Mr Kofi Akpaloo, the founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana, has said.

Mr Akpaloo said due to his lack of message, the former president has resorted to attacking the personality of some of the commissioners of the Electoral Commission, especially the Chair, Jean Mensa.

Mr Mahama recently said the posturing of Mrs Jean Mensa does not indicate that she will be neutral in the 2020 polls.

According to him, Mrs Mensa has acted in ways that suggest that representatives of the political parties are a disturbance to the elections management body, a situation he said was unfortunate.

“They need to prove us wrong. We have our doubts that they can be neutral and fair … The current posture and the way they are conducting things makes us doubt that they will be neutral and fair in 2020,” Mr Mahama told Accra-based Citi FM on Monday, 20 May 2019.

He added: “The EC is not a secret society. It is not somebody’s private closet that needs to be shut, and, [we], not know what is going on there… They should open all the process.

“When the EC starts behaving like the representatives of political parties are a nuisance … then this affects the trust and confidence the people have in the EC – a neutral arbiter.”

Touching on the chair of the Commission, Mr Mahama said: “Her posture doesn’t give confidence that she is going to be neutral in this matter,” he stated.

Speaking on Accra100.5FM’s Ghana Yensom show hosted by Kwabena Prah Jnr (The Don) on Wednesday, 22 May 2019, Mr Akpaloo said: “John Mahama has not changed from the way he did things ahead of the 2016 elections. In 2016 he had no message and, so, he resorted to attacking other people’s messages.

“Going into 2020, he has no message, so, he has turned his guns on the EC. If you have followed the trend, there is no way the Electoral Commissioners can rig elections, elections are won at the polling stations.”

He added: “Somebody promised Free SHS and he is doing it, what policy do you also have for Ghanaians? As we sit here today, Mahama has no message.”