The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rubbished claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it is conspiring with the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA) to rig the 2020 polls.
At a press conference on Thursday, the National Chairman of the NDC Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo reignited his party’s disagreement with the decision to exclude the old voters’ ID from requirements needed to acquire the new one.
Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo said this is a ploy to disenfranchise many voters; especially in the strongholds of the NDC; the biggest opposition party.
"We don’t need the EC to rig an election in our favour because a government that has put more than 1.3 million children into schools who would have been out of school if the NDC was in power, does not need an election to be rigged in its favour."
Per the new Constitutional Instrument, only the Ghana Card - issued by the National Identification Authority (NIA) - and the Ghana Passport are primary requirements for obtaining the new voters’ ID.
The NDC claims this would lead to more than 62 percent of the voting population losing their franchise.
But at a counter press conference, the newly elected Campaign Manager of the NPP, Peter Mac-Manu said the allegations are bogus.
He wondered how a government which has done so much for the Ghanaian people will need elections rigged in their favour.
“A government that has restored industries and created jobs for its people, puts the interest of Ghanaians first and shown great leadership amid the coronavirus pandemic does not need an election to be rigged in its favour.
“A government that has put the interest of the ordinary Ghanaian first, whether it is protecting monies of millions of depositors or absorbing the cost of electricity and water of 30 million Ghanaians to ease the “suffering of the people when there is a crisis, such a government does not need elections to be rigged in its favour,” he added.
Mr Mac-Manu argues that the NDC is kicking against the compilation of a new voters’ register due to lack of confidence in their candidate, former president John Mahama.
He said the NPP will win the December polls despite the numerous fabrications by the NDC to create chaos, disunity, and fear.
“They are doing this because they do not have a good candidate and a good story to tell the voters in December.
“It is that record of a rigged leadership under John Mahama that the NDC must be afraid of bringing back to face the Ghanaian people for their votes and not he fake conspiracy to rig elections against them.
“It is not the fault of any Ghanaian that the NDC chose to bring back as their presidential candidate for 2020 the very one in whose hands the NDC suffered their biggest defeat in history,” he added.
Latest Stories
-
Newmont’s Foundation commissions new classroom block at Afrisipakrom
26 mins -
GIZ, partners help achieve health resilience through pandemic management projects
34 mins -
Dr Kwesi Eduafo Yankey appointed First Chancellor of Koforidua Technical University
44 mins -
Lights on or off? Institute for Energy Security boss debates NDC and NPP track records
2 hours -
Adolescent parliament in Sunyani wants children’s concerns prioritised
2 hours -
Trump taps loyalists with few qualifications for top jobs
2 hours -
Ugandan Archbishop says Welby split global Anglican communion
3 hours -
Our ‘SSNIT revolution’ will boost healthcare access, help hospitals function better – Nana Kwame Bediako
3 hours -
Violent clash at swearing in of new Ho GPRTU executives
4 hours -
What Trump could do on day one in the White House
5 hours -
Mankessim shooting: Court orders prosecution to expedite investigations
5 hours -
Explainer: Expect to hear the F-word a lot in the US Senate next year
5 hours -
Nigeria’s NNPC signs 10-year gas sale deal with Dangote Refinery
5 hours -
S.Africa’s Vodacom eyes taking cloud-based phone to other African markets
5 hours -
Mauritius opposition leader Ramgoolam sworn in as PM after election rout
6 hours