John Boadu, Kwesi Pratt clash over new voters register

NPP General Secretary, John Boadu has jumped to the defence of the party's Campaign Manager for 2020 elections, Peter Mac Manu, over the latter's recent comments regarding election rigging claims against the party.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), through its National Chairman Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, holds that the EC's decision to use the Ghana card and passport as the legal documents for registering eligible Ghanaians into a new voters' register is a ploy to skew the December polls in favour of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The NDC strongly opposes the EC saying the Commission wants to disenfranchise 11 million Ghanaians in order to rig the elections for the incumbent government.

Reacting to the NDC claims, Mr Peter Mac Manu emphasized that the governing party has no interest in rigging the elections and is not conspiring with the EC to perpetrate such crime.

He stressed that, with or without a new voters' register, the NPP will win the elections because they have a solid track record and so doesn't need the EC's help.

''We do not need the EC to rig the elections in our favour. NPP will win the election based on our soundtrack record . . . This is because the Ghanaian electorate has confidence in the ruling NPP government since President Akufo-Addo had shown leadership and sought the welfare of the ordinary Ghanaian over the period of his tenure," he said.

Mr Mac Manu's comments attracted the attention of seasoned journalist Kwesi Pratt, who speaking on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', questioned why the NPP is advocating for a new voters' register if their Campaign Manager has no worries over the old register.

Mr Pratt believes it is baseless for the NPP to support the EC's decision to compile a new register if the party will win the elections with or without it.

Speaking on the same programme, the party's General Secretary sought to correct the misconception created by Kwesi Pratt that the NPP Campaign Manager is against the new voters' register.

John Boadu told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that Kwesi Pratt's interpretation of Mr Mac Manu's response is misleading.

According to him, nowhere did Mr Mac Manu make a comment that the NPP supports the old register, therefore clarifying that Mr Mac Manu was rather pointing out to the opposition party that the NPP will win the 2020 elections based on their performance.

"It doesn't mean Mac Manu is against the compilation of a new register. Mac Manu didn't say using the old register will make the elections credible. He didn't say that and don't misquote him," John Boadu charged.