NDC Rigs, Not NPP

NATIONAL Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu, has debunked allegations that the NPP rigged the 2004 elections and was scheming same strategy to rig the impending elections in order to remain in power.

He made this statement at Yeji in the Pru District where there had been a contention over the 2004 electoral result.

Mac-Manu explained that what happened at that time was confusion in the collation process, and said the Electoral Commission (EC) later rectified the situation and named the NDC's parliamentary candidate as the winner.

He recalled another incident that occurred in the Tongu Central Constituency that same year when the NPP took the case to court. He said within one month, verdict was given in favour of the NDC, adding that even as a ruling party, the NPP did not contest the decision of the court because it was law abiding and understood the rudiments of the rule of law.

He mentioned also similar occurrences in the Mion Constituency in the Northern Region and Ayawaso Wuogon Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, and said in the case of Mion where the NPP in 1996 contested the results in court, judgment was never given for four good years until the term of Parliament expired.

The NPP National Chairman therefore concluded that it was the NDC that was noted for rigging of elections and not the NPP.

The Cherepohene of Yeji Traditional Area, Nana Twumasi Ankrah VIII, observed that the good works of the NPP administration were overwhelming that words alone could not be used to express how grateful Ghanaians and particularly the people of Yeji were to the Kufuor-led government.

He said they were all aware of the love the father of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP flag-bearer, exhibited for the country, and promised that he and the whole of Yejiman would therefore go all out for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP.

Nana Twumasi Ankrah said as the Psalmist sang, “I will sing and praise the name of the Lord for what he has done for me,” so will they also vote and praise the NPP administration for what it had done for them.

He encouraged the flag-bearer to be courageous, fight forward and only hope for the best.

Nana Akufo-Addo, who was visibly happy for the warm reception accorded him everywhere he went, assured the gathering that the economy was about exploding and everybody would have jobs to do, because the NPP administration had laid a solid foundation for that take-off.

He stressed that since a good foundation had been laid already, his was to build the house he referred to as “Ghana House” when he is made president of the Republic on January 7, 2009.

He reiterated the need for all and sundry to register when the Electoral Commission opens the voters' register, and regretted that Pru was one of the constituencies which had never in the history of Ghanaian politics voted for the NPP.

Later at a rally, Nana Akufo-Addo debunked allegations that he was using state facilities for his campaign activities.

He maintained that he had never on any occasion sought favour from government for his campaign, and described the speculations as mere political gimmicks masterminded by the opposition to dent his image and throw dust into the eyes of the people.

He asked the people to treat the speculations with the contempt it deserved, and called on the people to endeavour to maintain the peace the country was enjoying now.

From Rocklyn Antonio, Yeji