CDD pre-election survey “total nonsense” – NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described a survey by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) in which it alleged that the NDC is neck deep in vote-buying as "incomprehensible".

The policy think tank in its pre-election survey published Thursday claimed that of the two major political parties in the country, the NDC leads in vote-buying ahead of the 2016 general election.

It further added that about 51 percent of Ghanaians who took part in the survey said the Mahama government has been offering gifts in exchange for their vote – representing 19 percent higher than the percentage recorded by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Addressing the findings of the survey, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, George Lawson, said the report lacks credibility, especially when it claimed that government has been sharing drinks to electorate for their votes.

Speaking on Accra-based 3FM, he said the survey by the CDD is dubious and a disgrace to Ghana’s democracy.

Also, he added the suggestion that the government dished out drinks to the people for votes is too absurd.

“…I mean I can’t comprehend what they put across. It doesn’t make sense. This is total nonsense,” Mr. Lawson mentioned for the CDD to say Ghanaians are being given ‘Akpeteshi’ for votes.

He continued that “we have four million people on our register, so we buy all the four million people? It doesn’t make sense to me. Anybody in his right sense of mind will not come and say so.”

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) at a press conference yesterday [Wednesday] raised concerns over what they described as the “lavish gifts” being shared by President John Mahama’s wife, Madam Lordina Mahama.

Acting General Secretary of the party, John Boadu told journalists at a press conference that “the wife of the President of the Republic is going around the country, with a fleet of trucks load of goodies, which she is sharing for votes. These run into millions of dollars."

The NPP, he explained is apprehensive on the timing of the “escalation of the First Lady’s gifts-sharing expedition and the volume and costs of the gifts being shared.”

He said during the 2012 elections the NDC over the last four months to the polls, expended “some $4 billion dollars that was not budgeted for was taken out of state coffers and spent in a desperate and reckless attempt for Mahama to hold on to power.”

He said the government’s refusal to disclose “the sources of funding for the First Lady's charity work is to add to the perception that the root and head of the corruption overwhelming the country is indeed the First Family."

Government, however, described the allegations by the NPP as “unnecessary diversion.”

Speaking on Starr Today Wednesday, Deputy Communications Minister, Felix Ofusu Kwakye dismissed the accusations as entirely pointless.

“…These are pretty unnecessary questions [NPP queries],” he told Bernard Nasara Saibu host of Starr Today.