In a sharp critique of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused the ruling party of engaging in tactics to rig the upcoming December 7 elections.
Asiedu Nketia, known widely in the political landscape as “General Mosquito,” voiced his concerns during a media interview on Monday, August 19, 2024, where he pointed to the timing and circumstances surrounding the NPP’s manifesto launch as evidence of their alleged misconduct.
According to Nketia, the NPP’s recent manifesto launch is a calculated move designed to distract the public from critical electoral issues, particularly the lack of transparency from the Electoral Commission (EC) concerning the voter register.
“The NPP means a rigging business. The EC has not told us the number of people they have registered since the voter registration, and tomorrow we are doing an exhibition.
“They have always told us to exercise patience. You have not given it to us, so I don’t know what they want to exhibit.”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
With just a day remaining until the exhibition of the voter register, the EC has yet to release the register to political parties—a move that Asiedu Nketia claimed undermines the integrity of the electoral process.
Asiedu Nketia highlighted the importance of the voter register in ensuring a fair and transparent election. He emphasized that the EC is obligated to release the register to political parties so they can verify its accuracy and identify any foreign names or other irregularities that may appear in the respective constituencies.
The failure to release the register, he argued, prevents political parties from performing this crucial function, thereby compromising the credibility of the election.
Calls for Postponement of Voter Register Exhibition
In his interview, Asiedu Nketia called on the Peace Council and other stakeholders involved in ensuring a peaceful election to intervene and demand that the EC postpone the voter register exhibition.
Asiedu Nketia stressed that the exhibition should only proceed once the register has been released to all political parties, allowing them adequate time to review and address any discrepancies.
“They did the ‘concert party’ yesterday to divert attention from the EC’s failure to provide us the album, although they are starting the exercise tomorrow [Tuesday, August 20].
“The Peace Council and the other peace stakeholders should talk to the EC to postpone the exhibition exercise until they release the register to us.”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Further intensifying his criticism of the EC, Asiedu Nketia raised concerns about missing biometric devices that the Commission had previously denied were lost but later admitted after significant pressure from the opposition.
The NDC Chair alleged that the EC’s failure to provide an update on the missing devices is suspicious, suggesting that they could be used to secretly register voters in a bid to manipulate the election results in favor of the NPP.
“[The EC] told us some biometric devices got missing, and they have not given us any update on it. All these are means to register people secretly into the album. So, they did the manifesto launch to divert attention from the exhibition so that everyone will focus on the launch.”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
The NDC’s concerns echo broader worries about electoral transparency and fairness in Ghana, a country often lauded for its stable democracy in a region frequently marred by political instability.
As the December elections approach, the transparency and fairness of the electoral process will be under intense scrutiny, with the EC’s actions likely to play a pivotal role in shaping public trust in the outcome.
The NDC, led by Asiedu Nketia, is urging the EC to address these issues urgently, with the Chairman’s remarks underscoring the potential consequences of failing to do so.
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