NDC's opposition against new voters register 'pure revenge & hatred' for Jean Mensa - Atik Mohammed

PNC Stalwart, Atik Mohammed says the National Democratic Congress' opposition to the Electoral Commission's decision to compile a new voters' register is purely borne out of personal sentiments and hatred for Madam Jean Mensa, the EC Chairperson.

Atik Mohammed came to this conclusion after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership gave up their legal case challenging the constitutionality of the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct the new voters' registration exercise.

NDC Drags EC To Supreme Court

The NDC has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court against the EC seeking two reliefs; the first being that the Commission's decision to compile a new voters' register is unconstitutional and secondly, the decision of the EC to exclude an existing voters' ID card as a form of identification for the exercise is also unconstitutional.

The party argues that the EC's decision to use only the Ghana card and passport will disenfranchise many Ghanaians and this contravenes Article 42 of the 1992 constitution.

They further contend that, according to Article 45 of the constitution, the EC can compile a voters' register once and periodically revise it.

NDC Abandons Their Case

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court on Thursday, June 12, 2020, heard the NDC but told the Counsel for the party, Godwin Tameklo, that per the court rules, a party cannot be seeking a relief and also ask to be granted another relief in the alternative.

Therefore, the party needed to make a choice and they decided to go for their second relief of whether or not the EC is mandated by law to exclude the voters' ID card in the registration exercise while they dropped their initial case of kicking against a new voters' register.

The NDC's action, therefore, means the EC can go-ahead to conduct the mass registration exercise and compile a new voters' register.

The Supreme Court will on June 23 also make a ruling on whether or not the electoral management body is constitutionally right to exclude an existing voters’ ID card as a form of identification for the upcoming exercise.

NDC Has Been Exposed

Regarding the NDC's decision to abandon their new voters' registration case, Atik Mohammed is undoubtedly convinced that the party is only seeking a revenge on the EC Boss, Jean Mensa, because they feel she profited from the exit of the former Chairperson of the Commission, Madam Charlotte Osei.

According to him, the arguments by the NDC leadership and members against a new voters' register are mere attempts to sympathize with Madam Charlotte Osei, hence engaging in a personal feud with the EC Boss.

''When you take a look at their commentaries and their arguments against the register, the arguments often end up with either Madam Jean Mensa and Mr. Bossman have ulterior motive to help rig an election or they were appointed to do the bidding of one political party. That's why I am saying it has always been personal because they feel that Madam Jean Mensa profited from the exit of Charlotte Osei; so she also has to suffer humiliation and attacks because that's what unfortunately they feel that Mrs. Charlotte Osei suffered,” he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'.

Atik Mohammed warned the NDC to stop jeopardizing the reputation of the Electoral Commission.

“You cannot oppose an exercise such as the compilation of a new register simply because of what happened to Madam Charlotte Osei, which we all regret, should become the fate of the new Commissioner and part of the treatment means that even if she says we should do what will help Ghana, we should oppose and insult them because she needs to suffer the same or similar fate as Madam Charlotte Osei did.”