EC petition: Our hands clean – NPP

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rebuffed claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that they are behind agitations at the Electoral Commission (EC) and the subsequent petition forwarded to President Nana Akufo-Addo for the removal of the EC boss.

“What benefit is NPP going to gain if Charlotte Osei is removed? NPP is noted for law; NPP is noted for the respect to constitution,” Communications Director of the NPP, Yaw Adomako Baafi said in an interview with Valentina Ofori Afriyie on Class91.3FM’s 505 news programme on Thursday, July 20.

The NDC had warned President Nana Akufo-Addo to stay off the “independent” EC and its Chair, Charlotte Osei, saying the party will “resist” the “blackmail witch-hunting” of the head of the election management body who was appointed by Mr John Mahama when he was in office as president.

“Stay off intruding into the operations into the activities of the independent EC,” Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said at a press conference organised by the NDC to assess the president’s first six months in office.

The Tamale South MP said the president’s “blackmail witch-hunt will fail today, fail tomorrow and will be resisted by the NDC”.

According to him, the Chairperson who the NPP administration is hounding out of office was the same person who declared Mr Akufo-Addo president.

He was backed by Vice Chairman of the NDC Samuel Ofosu Ampofo who also accused the NPP of being behind the petition to have the EC boss removed from office.

However, Mr Baafi argued it is rather the wish of the NPP to have a vibrant EC devoid of any challenges of disunity among workers because Ghana’s democracy will thrive if the nation has an effective election conducting body.

“Why should we interfere in the Electoral Commission’s processes when we know that it is an independent body? We don’t have any interest in that. In any case we pray that the internal wrangling at the Electoral Commission will die down,” he added.

He said the laws of the country must reign supreme and if there are any issues between the EC Chair and staff, the law should be the guide.

“Why don’t we allow the law to take its own course rather than for political parties to meddle in that,” he emphasised.