Election 2020: 'We don’t trust Akufo-Addo' - Asiedu Nketia

The assurance given by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to foster peace and allow every eligible Ghanaian to register in the ongoing registration exercise has been pooh-poohed by the General Secretary of the opposition NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.

According to the NDC Chief Scribe, President Akufo-Addo's long-winding speech, assuring free, fair and transparent 2020 general election cannot be a true reflection of the reality on the ground.

President Akufo-Addo on Monday evening addressing the nation on the ongoing registration exercise urged all eligible Ghanaian voters with sound minds to go out to register irrespective of their political party affiliation as it is their civic responsibilities to elect a government of their choice on 7th December 2020 in a free, fair, peaceful and transparent manner.

“So, I urge all eligible Ghanaians, I repeat all eligible citizens, that is Ghanaians of eighteen (18) years of age or above, and of sound mind, no matter what party they belong to, if any, to go out and register, so that they can exercise their civic responsibilities on 7th December, 2020, to elect a government of their choice in a free, fair, peaceful and transparent election. Using your God-given and constitutional rights costs nothing, but staying home can come at a very steep price. The pandemic, notwithstanding, we have to strengthen Ghanaian democracy”.

“It must be our collective duty to ensure that we have a register that is fit for purpose in December, and we must all make sure that persons who do not meet the requirements, as set out clearly in the Constitution, do not find their names into the register. If you aid the registration of an ineligible person, and you are caught, you will face the full rigours of the law. The election on 7th December must be a Ghanaian election, not a West African election, conducted with a voter register of Ghanaians. That is the only way the true will of the Ghanaian people can manifest”.

“It is crucial that both the registration exercise and the electoral process itself be conducted in an atmosphere of peace and security, devoid of intimidation and violence. The Ghanaian people must go about the exercise of their civic duties in peace and in freedom. The security agencies have assured me that they have made adequate preparations for this, and to guarantee the sanctity of the process. They have assured me of their determination to carry out their duties without fear or favour. Improper behaviour by any citizen, no matter their political colour, will not be tolerated, and I am encouraged by the recent reassurance by the Inspector General of Police that Police have been instructed to be even-handed in their response to issues. That is the only way the rule of law can be upheld,” he stated.

But reacting to the speech of the President on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Mr. Asiedu Nketia posited that the statement from President Akufo-Addo means nothing to the NDC as they, together with other Ghanaians, do not trust the promises of the President with regards to the election.

“We don’t have any trust in his promises including the promises he has made about election and so what we are saying is that, this government is a bad one. A lot of Ghanaians have made their minds that the President does not honour his promises and so they are kicking him out from power and he has also made his mind to disenfranchise those who want to vote against him and this is the challenge we are all facing right now,” he claimed.

He emphasized that the NDC cannot be bothered by the stance of President Akufo-Addo on the electoral process and the military deployment to border regions as their minds are already made up.

“What we are saying is that, whether he agrees or not, we have made our minds to go through every pain and obstacle set before us to remove him from power at all cost and this is the mindset we have put in our members . . .

“All we know is that, Nana Akufo-Addo is doing everything he can to disenfranchise many Ghanaians from voting in order to stay on to power and we have also have vowed to kick him out from power no matter the schemes he initiates...we don’t trust the President on anything he has said about the election because he says one thing and means another; he is simply deceiving Ghanaians,” he slammed.