Politics of Sunday, 17 May 2020
Source: 3news.com
A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ought not to be encouraged in their claims against the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA) as regards the preparations towards the December 7 elections.
According to Mr Ahiagbah, the largest opposition party has ignored every process and rather resorted to throwing tantrums.
“...And I think that that is unfortunate and that should not be encouraged by every means because really we are going to go for the elections whether they like it or not.”
The NDC last Thursday accused the EC and NIA of colluding to rig the December 7 elections for NPP’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In a press conference addressed by its National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the NDC said the EC wants to use the yet-to-be-completed Ghana Cards for the compilation of a new register, against the convention of using existing voters’ ID cards.
“The conspiracy to use the Ghana card is reason why at each and every turn, Jean Mensah seems impervious of the implications of her conduct and decisions,” Mr Ofosu Ampofo told journalists last Thursday.
“Her only mission and motivation, it appears, is to please President Akufo Addo and ensure his re-election for a second term,” he alleged.
But speaking on The Key Points on TV3/3FM on Saturday, Mr Ahiagbah, who is also the Executive Director of think-tank Danquah Institute, said: “The NDC somehow is trying to make its inefficiencies the concerns of Ghanaians that we should invest in discussing their inefficiencies.
“They are not interested in participating in the process to move us forward but they are interested in, at every point, grid-locking the process and completely to create the impression that something is being done that is untoward.”
He reiterated the assertion by his party’s National Campaign Manager, Peter Mac Manu, that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is ready to face the elections and will win handsomely based on his performance and track record.
But countering this was NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, who said his party will use every legitimate means to stop the EC from going ahead with the compilation of a new register.
He said the only exercise they will allow will be the limited voters’ registration, which will be less cumbersome for the EC.