Why should I participate in EC's 'old and new testament meeting' and risk arrest? – Asiedu Nketia

General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Asiedu Nketia says there is no way he and his party will flout COVID-19 directives laid down by President Akufo-Addo.

Thus Johnson Asiedu Nketia asserts that he will not place himself in a position where he will be arrested for attending an 'illegal' meeting.

The NDC refused to attend a recent IPAC meeting organized by the Electoral Commission because it was against the directive by the president for all public gatherings to be suspended over the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The opposition party also kicked against the EC's plan to hold the meetings in two separate groups to ensure that social distancing protocol can be fully observed.

Speaking in an interview on Neat FM's Me Man Nti programme, he wondered why President Akufo-Addo said there should be no political activity, yet the EC went ahead to flout that order.

"Isn't the President surprised when he sets rules and it is being disobeyed? Didn't he say we should cease all political activities and concentrate on fighting COVID-19? Should we disregard that directive and be arrested by the police, whose fault will it be? The meeting was against the executive instrument... is the EC part of essential services? If it was part, the President would have said so...the president's directives on COVID-19 made the meeting illegal. How therefore can you take proper decisions at a meeting that is illegal? We couldn't have been part of an illegal meeting," he indicated.

Old and New Testament

Asiedu Nketia also mocked the EC's plan to hold the IPAC meeting in two different sessions; describing it as the "old and new testament".

"We've never heard of a meeting where the issues are discussed in two groups; old and new testament meeting..." he derided.