NDC Accuses NPP of Conniving With EC & NIA to rig the 2020 Election

Sounds familiar isnt it?

Certainly, we've found ourselves in a feedback loop once again. I've christened this location, the Accusation Junction.This is where we were in 2016.

This is what we see and this is what we get at every election political season. Not unusual though, the two major political parties---the NPP and NDC have intensified their political rhetoric in an attempt to outdo each other.

However, it seems to me that this game plan has probably outlived its freshness and timeliness. Or better still, it's become too colloquial. And I think the citizens are becoming fed up too with the same old narrative churn out by these key players.

Without a doubt the actors know how to spin the game to get results as the electorates don't seem to get it or if they do they forget it too quickly. But couldn't they (NDC) have come up with something authentic that is more likely to convince or resonate with the electorates, than ran with the unfounded allegation that NPP is in cohoot with the Electoral Commission (EC) and National Identification Authority (NIA) to rig the 2020 elections?

In my view, this is a huge political miscalculation on the part of the NDC leadership. And I think they somehow got it wrong. How could they not know that they're racing with a limping horse and their efforts would come to a zilch---rig or no rig?

On Thursday 14, May 2020, at a press conference in Accra the party's National Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo fingered three key actors--- the NPP, EC and NIA, which he alleged were conspiring to suppress votes in the strongholds of the NDC.

"The President seeing defeat staring glaringly at him he's in conjunction with Jean Mensa led by EC and Ken Attafuah of NIA desperately scheming to rig the elections and hold on to power at all cost," said Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo.

He also didnt appear enthuse about what he sees as the electoral body's plan to push the introduction of some documents other than the voter's ID card. "This would disenfranchise about two million people," he said.

Question: Where would this game plan lead us to?

First of all, it tends to undermine the independence and credibility of the EC. Unfortunately, this trust issue is becoming an age old thing.But for how long can we allow it to go on?

Second, my fear is that it will lead us to an inexorably worsening situation, if we don't change the trajectory. And it's not too late to do that which is proper. May be we can help abate it, if we begin now to engage ourselves in a more serious national debate or political discourse.

And let me be clear here. This article is not in any way whatsoever intended to ridicule the NDC. But truth be told, the party faulted in its first major step after the 2016 general election defeat. It didn't put its best foot forward. What does that mean? Among other things it failed to adhere to reasoning.

Do you remember the post-mortem report by the Botchwey's Commission? The party's endorsement of former President John Mahama as its presidential candidate for the 2020 election meant that they didn't understand the importance and ramifications of the Botchwey's report. Yes, I know this would sound absurd to some NDC supporters and sympathisers: But it is what iit is. I think the party has shot itself in the foot, hence it should see 2020 in its rear view mirror.

And oh,, did I mention that the timing is bad too? Fighting an incumbent when your flagbearer is carrying huge political baggage could be viewed as huculean task. Early this year, I wrote that Mr. Mahama's nightmares have just begun. This was in connection with the infamous Airbus saga.

And indeed the rooster is coming home!

Now consider this: Don't you think if the NDC had told the whole world that it had a dossier or credible information from the nation's main intelligence agency (BNI) that the NPP is in cohoot with the EC and NIA to rig the elections could have gotten some traction?

I think merely throwing out there an unsubstantiated allegation and rehashing an old narrative commonly used by both parties perhaps make it a bit harder for a party to weather the political storm.

Thus the posture smacks the losers' scorn. It's like the fox saying the grapes are sour when it's obvious that she cannot reach some on a high vine.

Suffice also, to argue that NDC's disparaging attitude towards EC's plan to include birth certificate, Ghana Card and Passport in its voters registration exercise is simply sour grapes. As one political analyst said, it's a fact that they [NDC] would like to win the 2020 election but they can't win in anyway no matter what they do.

Is this not a way for the NDC to save its reputation and cure its smarting ego?

According to Mr Ampofo, the decision by the NIA to increase the number of registration centres in the Ashanti region but keep few in the strongholds of the NDC is part of the voter suppression agenda.

“Not even the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in which requires that we pull together for our collective survival as a nation are enough to deter the actors of this plot from their ungodly act," he said.

But NIA (Ken Attafuah) too, why would you increase the number of registration centres in Ashanti region and not do similar or same at say Alavanyo or Ketu South? Is that fair?

The NDC national Chairman also wondered why the EC would like to ignore the voter ID which he argued is the most credible document of identity in the county and rather go for birth certificates which are easily obtainable.

Rebuttal

In a rebuttal, the 2020 Campaign Manager for the New NPP, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, has stated that the party is not and cannot be part of any conspiracy whatsoever to rig the 2020 elections, as alleged by the NDC.

He made the rebuttal statement at a press conference in Accra in the aftermath of the opposition NDC's claim that the ruling patty was plotting with its allies to rig the impending general election.

Mr. Mac Manu said, “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.”

According to him, it is that record of a rigged leadership under John Dramani Mahama that the NDC must be afraid of bringing back to face the Ghanaian people for their votes and not any fake conspiracy to rig the elections against them.

The 2020 campaign manager reminded the NDC of how the NPP, as an opposition party, beat the NDC in 2016 ––and by the largest margin ever in Ghana’s history against an incumbent president in Ghana’s history.

“It is not the fault of any Ghanaian that the NDC chose to bring back Mr Mahama as their presidential candidate for 2020 the very man on whose hands the NDC suffered their biggest defeat in their history. It is not the fault of NPP that the NDC chose to bring back as their 2020 presidential candidate the very same man who gave Ghana the worst economic growth performance since 1994. It is not the fault of President Akufo-Addo that the NDC has very little confidence in their own chosen Candidate for 2020, John Mahama.”

And as if to taunt the NDC he said: “We do not need the EC to rig an election in our favour. A government that has put some 1.3 million children to school, (who if NDC was in power would be on the streets) does not need an election to be rigged in its favour. A government that has restored industry and is creating jobs for the people does not need an election to be rigged in its favour. A government that has put 100,000 unemployed graduates to work does not need an election to be rigged in its favour. A government that puts the interest of the ordinary Ghanaian first, whether it is in protecting the money of millions of depositors, or absolving the cost of electricity and water of 30 million Ghanaians, to ease the sufferings of the people when there is a crisis, such a government does not need an election to be rigged in its favour,” he outlined.

By Gordon Offin-Amaniampong

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