A constitutional lawyer, Mr John Ndebugri has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cannot "arrest" the process which has been initiated for the December 17, 2019 referendum.
According to him, there is no provision in the constitution that allows the President to abort the process which has already been set in motion.
The referendum is to decide on the amendment of Article 55(3) of the 1992 Constitution on whether or not political parties should be allowed to sponsor candidates in local level elections.
"The election [referendum] is due to be held and it should be held," Mr Ndebugri said in a radio interview with Accra based Class FM on Tuesday evening [November 26, 2019].
"I actually don't see the need to withdraw, it is too late," he said.
"The law is very clear, the process has been set in motion and we must go ahead in accordance with the law," he added.
Mr Ndebugri said those advocating for the referendum to be halted are acting on ignorance.
His call is similar to an earlier one by the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, who has also stated that President Akufo-Addo has no power to pull the plug and halt the upcoming referendum.
Following the break down of consensus for a YES vote in the upcoming referendum, there have been calls for the referendum to be halted by withdrawing it or postponing it.
Some have argued that they prefer a 'NO' vote since it will not be prudent to allow partisanship at local level elections whilst others have also said there is the need for more public sensitisation since the education on the referendum has not really gone down.
Some have also said a postponement and organising a separate election just for the referendum would be costly.
They would rather prefer that it should be considered in 2023, the next time Ghana would hold district-level elections but there are those who also think that it should be allowed to go ahead for the public to vote on it.
There have been indications that President Akufo-Addo will make a pronouncement this week when he returns from his trip to the United Kingdom.
Whilst the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been campaigning for a 'YES' problem, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been campaigning for a 'NO' vote.
Source: GNA
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THE REFERENDUM HAS REVEALED NDC AS A DANGEROUSSS PARTY. NDC CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THEIR MIND FROM YES VOTE TO NO VOTE AS THEY CONSULTED THEIR ELDERS. THE QUESTION THEN IS: 1.DID NDC HAVE ANY FUNDAMENTAL POLICY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND DISTRICT LEVEL ELECTIONS. 2. ON WHAT BASIS DID NDC MPs AT PARLIAMENT AND OTHER OFFICIALS AT SEVERAL FORUMS SPOKE TO SUPPORT THE YES VOTE. DID THEY DO THAT OUT OF VACUUM OR ON THE BASIS OF ANY POLITICAL POLICY. 3. ON WHAT GROUNDS DID THE ELDERS OF NDC CHANGE THE PARTY SUPPORT FROM THE YES VOTE TO THE NO VOTE. WAS THE DECISION BASED ON POLICY OR JUST FOR POLITICAL DISINGENUOUSSSS. 4. DOES NDC HAVE ONE SET OF POLICIES FOR THEIR MPs AND ANOTHER SET FOR THEIR ELDERS. VERY INCOHERENT AND UNRELIABLE. 5.DID NDC ACTED MISCHIEVOUSLYYY BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING CONCRETE TO OFFER FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SO DECIDED TO SABOTAGEEEE NPP. 5. THE FACT OF NDC AS MISCHIEVOUSSS, DISHONESTTT, DECEPTIVEEE, BETRAYALLL AND UNTRUTHFULLL UNFOLDS VIVIDLY: 6. THEY STARTED WITH THE "YES VOTE" AT THE PARLIAMENT, SHIFTED TO THE "NO VOTE" BY THEIR ELDERS, PRETENTIOUSLYYY ASKED FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE REFERENDUM BY ASIEDU NKETIA TO DAN BOTWE AND SHAMEFULYYYY THREATENING TO GO TO COURT SHOULD THE REFERENDUM BE SUSPENDED. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DIABOLICCC. NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE A SEEN ANYTHING DISHONESTTTT LIKE THIS ATTITUDE OF NDC. THEY MIGHT THINK THAT THEY ARE SMART TO SABOTAGEEE THE NPP GOVERNMENT BUT IN REALITY THEY ARE WASTING THE ENERGY AND THE RESOURCES OF ALL GHANAIANS TO HOLD BACK THE GROWTH AND PROGRESS OF THE NATION. MANY GHANAIANS MIGHT NOT BE SO SMARTT TO NOTICE THE EVILLLL OF THE SABOTAGEEE BUT NDC CANNOT ESCAPE THE WRATHH OF GOD WHO IS ALL KNOWING AND JUST.
With Ndebugri's political past how can he be a better lawyer? An ex-member of PNDC who fanned the Mamprusi-Kusasi war in the early 80s and turned to study law when he fell out with the Tsikatas. What morality will this pseudo-revolutionalist have on society, let alone on the law? What major case has he handled since becoming a lawyer? Let's be serious as a nation and give merit only when it is deserving. Whether to withdraw or not the people of Ghana will speak at the right time.
I think Peace FM also has lawyers in their outfit. I am not a lawyer, but commonsense and constitutional arrangements indicate that, it is the Executive arm of government that sends bills to parliament to be debated and passed into law. I think Ndebugre has forgotten his law. I put it to him that the President who sent this referendum issue to parliament can equally withdraw it and 'arrest' it as he puts it, anytime, anyday.
NDEDUGRI IS BETTER AS A LAWYER THAN FAKE LAWYER AKOFU ADDO
Say it again, Kofi. Every media of entertianment person is referred to as 'RENOWNED' or 'VETERAN'. Lawyers are either 'ASTUTE' or 'CONSTITUTIONAL' or 'RENOWNED'. Very cheap media and practitioners. They will never learn, never creative, but keep repeating tired phrases and cliches.
Ghanaian media can assign titles to people oh When did Ndebugri become constitutional lawyer Anokwa Akom kor The man has become stale and irrelevant