<<Print>>

Series of demonstrations planned by the New Patriotic Party, NPP appears to be a well calculated attempt to raise the political temperature in the country, create panic among the public and the business community at large in order to save its face in case it loses the 2016 Presidential elections.

The party’s attempt to use the Courts to disrupt the Electoral Commission’s road map have been thrown out yet NPP still appears determined by using different strategies to discredit the same institution it has depended on to supervise its internal elections and the recent Abuakwa North bye-election after J B Danquah Adu was murdered.

The latest game plan is to force the Commission to suspend the limited registration exercise scheduled to begin from April 28, after which the EC will exhibit the voters register to enable the public and political parties in general help clean it.

Now Ghana’s biggest opposition party is using its surrogates like pressure group, Let My Vote Count, LMVCA, The Alliance For Accountable Governance, AFAG among others to launch series of attacks on the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei to discredit her.

This was evident in the placards people bussed to join the ‘Baamu Yadaa’ demonstration in Kumasi on Wednesday carried.

Some of them launched direct attacks on the personality of the poor woman, President John Mahama amidst threats of mayhem should she attempt to, in their view, rig the elections for the incumbent.

Convener of pro-NPP group, Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), David Asante and other NPP stalwarts including Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu served notice it is the beginning of a series of public agitations to force the EC to be professional, unbiased, wise and responsive to concerns over the electoral process.

The activity is being masterminded by the Danquah Institute, a political bias Public Policy Research Center, the brainchild of Nana Addo’s nephew Gabby Asare Otchere Darko.

On February 1, 2016 Executive Director of the Institute, Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, authored an article dubbed, ‘No Validation, No Limited Registration’.

According to Mr Attobrah Quaicoe, his outfit found it strange and potentially dangerous that the most reasonable solution that was tabled by the VCRAC Crabbe panel of experts, including validation of the voters’ register to give Ghana a credible register for 2016 General Elections appears to have been totally ignored by the EC.

The 2016 polls is barely seven months away. Traditionally, political parties use this period to sensitize their members about the pending limited registration and how to stop non-eligible voters from getting their names into the system.

Interestingly, the NPP is spending its energy destroying the EC so it can blame it if it loses the November polls. Characteristic of the NPP and its officials, David Asante said EC’s stubbornness can only push Ghana to the brink of disaster.

Meanwhile the party’s Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organizer, Kwame Baffoe, has filed a motion at the Supreme Court to stop the limited voter registration exercise slated for April 28.

The EC will may go ahead because Mr Baffoe withdrew the motion for injunction yesterday after the court chaired Chief Justice, Georgina T. Wood advised him in that regard on the basis that should his substantive suit succeed, it will render the action of the EC null and void.
Former EC Chairman, Dr Kwadjo Afari Gyan, recognized internationally for his role in shaping Ghana’s electoral system retired with a battered image, courtesy the NPP.

Its demand for a new voters register based on falsehood that over 70,000 Togolese names were found did not receive any support as most minority parties and civil society groups which made a presentation before the EC eminent panel chaired by the Justice VCRAC Crabbe proposed a cleaning of the register.

An Inter Party Advisory Committee called by the EC has agreed on a workable timetable.  

But the reality is that NPP today is a divided party. Its Chairman, Paul Afoko, General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong and the second Vice Chairman, Sammy Crabbe have already been kicked out.

Some founding members, Dr Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, Dr Wereko Brobbey, Kwadjo Mpiani have equally been sidelined. Deep throat sources within the party say its financiers are dragging their feet because of a potential loss in 2016.

NPP running mate, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia has virtually taken over the campaign leaving many people wandering about 72 year old Nana Akufo Addo’s strategy.

LMVCA wants the November 2016 polls to guarantee peace. But NPP is not the only political party in Ghana. If the NPP believes it can win at all cost, it must show good faith and support the process rather than crying over every spilled milk. In deed some political analyst have been concerned about the calculated attempt to discredit the EC.

Senior lecturer at the University of Ghana Dr. Ransford Gyampoe has jumped to the defense of the Commission with a caution to political parties to stop what he describes as the unnecessary attacks on the commission. According to him undermining the work of the electoral commission portend a grave danger for the country’s peace and stability. The political science lecture said such unnecessary suspicions could potentially create chaos after the polls.

The EC has very limited time and should be allowed to work.