The opposition National Democratic Congress at a press briefing Thursday has accused the New Patriotic Party of conniving with the Electoral Commission and the National Identification Authority of rigging the upcoming general elections.
According to the NDC, the passage of the National Identification Registration Amendment Act, 2017 (Act 950) by President Akufo-Addo which excludes driving license and Voter ID as registration requirement is to rig elections.
“the exclusion of the voters’ ID card from the requirements of registration for the national ID card by the Akufo-Addo government, was part of a well calculated scheme to disenfranchise a good number of Ghanaians from acquiring the national ID card (Ghana card), which was to be used subsequently, as one of the registration requirements in the new voters’ register plan they had long hatched” he said
The NDC further allege that the exclusion of these vital documents will disenfranchise majority of the voting population form acquiring the Ghana card, which the EC intends to use as a primary requirement during the Voters’ registration exercise.
Chairman of the NDC Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo indicated that the NIA, out of about the 17.3 million people who are 18 years and above and who are said to have been captured by the NIA during its registration exercise, only 6.5 million have been issued with the Ghana card.
Mr Ampofo explained that “almost 11 million (62 per cent) of eligible voters will have to go through the sworn oath option to be able to register for a voters’ ID, if the register for the 2020 general elections materializes adding that “the objective is to disenfranchise a significant number of persons in NDC strongholds in furtherance of the Jean Mensa-led EC’s grand scheme to rig the 2020 general elections for the New Patriotic Party.”
NPP’s Response
Reacting to this allegation, NPP’s election 2020 Campaign Manager, Mr. Peter Mac Manu has dismissed the claims by the NDC saying though the NPP supports the EC’s call for a new register, the party will win the 2020 elections with or without a new voters register.
Mr. Mac Manu explained that “the NPP is and cannot be part of any conspiracy whatsoever to rig the 2020 elections. The NDC has sat together to plan and have finally come out with the details of their fake conspiracy theory against the NPP. A fake conspiracy does not become a credible conspiracy just because an opposition that is afraid of losing a free and fair contest says so”.
The NPP indicated that the extent to which the NDC is insisting the register should not be changed shows that the NDC has something to hide from the register which was used to elect them in 2012.
“So what is it about the 2012 voters register that the NDC is so determined to protect it from being replaced? What is in that 2012 register that the NDC is threatening civil war if it is changed for a better one?”
Mr Manu however noted that “The focus of President Akufo-Addo and his Government upon assuming office was to fix the economy that President John Mahama and his NDC rigged in their 8 years in office. It remains our focus, to manage the crisis caused by Covid-19 in a way that the Ghanaian economy and society will come out of this crisis stronger and more united”.
Source: ATL FM NEWS
