It’s ‘ridiculous’ to say NPP wants to rig elections with new regions – Dan Botwe

The government has laughed off assertions that the creation of six new regions will be to the advantage of the New Patriotic Party in wining future elections.

Former Local Government Minister Joseph Yieleh Chireh alleged the decision to create the new regions was borne out of the government’s intention to rig the 2020 elections.

“The Akufo-Addo led government’s decision to create more regions is politically aiming to achieve electoral advantage,” said in August last year.

But the Minister for Regional Integration and Development Dan Kweku Botwe has described the claim as ridiculous, stating the Akufo-Addo-led government has no such intention.

“It will be very ridiculous and a lack of understanding of the processes for anybody to suggest that government will have an interest in it, to the extent of touching the work of the commission,” he said on Kaptured by Women on TV.

He contended that the NPP government has nothing to lose if the new regions are not created.

He said the decision and power to create the new regions rests with the people of Ghana.

READ : Charlotte Osei’s removal won’t affect creation of six new regions – Dan Botwe

Dr. Botwe averred should Ghanaians vote No at the referendum on the creation of new regions, it wont “affect the president, the party or the government,” and asked “What do we lose?”.

President Akufo-Addo, he said, only sought to facilitate the process of the creation of the regions and not to impose his will on the people.

“The campaign promise was to facilitate, to create the opportunity for you to express yourself, that is why the president did not even initiate article 5(3) or say that I as president I am creating it for you, he did not do that,” the minister said.

Mr. Botwe noted President Akufo-Addo waited for petitions from the people before initiating the process for the creation of the new regions.

“It is their will, and you cannot impose it on them. The major elections where Mr. President was a candidate, we have won big victories with the same people being there in 2016, the NDC was in power and we won,” he said.