NDC will not be cowed by lies from NPP- Afriyie

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it would not be cowed by the “lies” and “deliberate misinformation” being peddled by the NPP ahead of the December 7 polls.

According to Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy General Secretary of the party, the NPP has increasingly labelled his party as violent, when facts on the ground did not support their allegation.

At a press conference organised at the party's headquarters on Thursday, Mr. Afriyie chronicled a number of violent episodes that occurred during the NPP parliamentary primaries, adding “how can a party with this strong record of violence turn around and accuse the NDC of violence."

He chided the NPP over what he said are the “opulent and ostentatious abuse of incumbency,” to hold on to power.

The state broadcaster Ghana Broadcasting Corporation also came under heavy criticism, with Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah branding it as a propaganda tool for the NPP.

He said many adverts from the NDC had been unnecessarily rejected by corporation whilst those of the NPP received unlimited broadcast.

Mr. Ankrah commended the EC for taking steps to minimise the spoilt ballots and clarifying the position on proxy forms, but maintained a lot has to be done to ensure a credible election on Sunday.

He said the indelible ink used during the special voting was easy rub and cautioned the EC to replace it to prevent multiple voting.

He also called on the EC to provide the parties with the list of proxy voters as well as those of transfer votes to ensure more transparency.

The professionalism and independence of some of the top hierarchy within the Ghana police service was also heavily scrutinized.

Mr. Ankrah cited a newspaper publication in which the IGP, Patrick Acheampong, was alleged to have said that the police was unnecessarily being criticised by parties who were sensing defeat in the upcoming polls.

According to Mr. Ankrah, the comment was irresponsible and unbecoming of the head of police service, who has to be more independent in the dispatch of his duty.

He also cautioned DCOP Opare Addo, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, to refrain from causing panic ahead of the Sunday polls.

DCOP Opare Addo had sworn to gun down miscreants who will dare take hostage of the ballot box on the day of the election.

But Mr. Afriyie says such an action is “uncivilized” and should not be entertained in the current democratic dispensation.

He also accused the Volta Regional Police Commander DCOP Bernard Dery for deliberately thwarting the NDC campaign adding, the party would not tolerate any act of intimidation in the upcoming polls.

He cautioned supporters not to allow themselves to be provoked on the day of the election and urged them to be more vigilant.

Mr. Ankrah appealed to supporters to attend the mammoth national rally to be held in Tema on Friday to climax campaign activities before elections on Sunday.

Listen to excerpts of the press conference in the attached audio

Story by Nathan Gadugah