Thomas Elleamo Yankey
As the 2024 elections draw near, President Nana Addo and Dr. Bawumia’s obsession with their agenda to “break the eight” has become very obvious. The obsession has compelled the twosome to use their rigging machinery—the EC and Jean Mensah—to engage in another election manipulation, beginning with the ongoing limited voter registration.
Using the EC as an instrument to “break the eight” is a dangerous obsession. The foundation of every democratic political process is the integrity of elections. That is because electoral integrity is very important in maintaining public trust in a democratic system. Therefore, the electoral processes must be free and fair if our democracy is to thrive.
Committed to upholding democratic values, the NDC is determined to stand against any attempts by the ruling government and its cohorts to rig the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. This is in line with the party’s democratic values to ensure that the will and voice of the people prevail.
THE LIMITED VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE
The ongoing limited voter registration process has been fraught at birth, with Jean Mensah’s sense of arrogance, heedlessness, and impunity. The fundamental rights of Ghanaians to choose their national leaders freely and fairly must not be impeded in any way. And it must not be constrained with a limited registration exercise. So, why is Jean Mensah restricting the registration exercise to the district offices?
No better answer comes to mind other than the following:
1. SUPPRESSION OF PRO NDC/OPPOSITION VOTES (REGISTRANTS): Knowing that they have plunged the country into economic disaster and making it extremely hard for a vast majority of Ghanaians to spend on events and things that will not bring them direct and immediate benefits, Jean Mensah and the NPP government are making it difficult for people who just attained the voting age to transport themselves to the district offices to register to vote.
Meanwhile, having looted all state assets and stashed all the money, the NPP is able to afford transporting their members and sympathizers to the district offices to register and vote, thereby, increasing their numbers and restricting those of the NDC and the opposition parties.
2. BUSSING PEOPLE FROM NPP STRONGHOLDS TO REGISTER IN NDC-DOMINATED CONSTITUENCIES: The NPP has put plans in place to bus large numbers of people from its strongholds to register in constituencies where the NDC tends to have more voter turnouts so that during the elections, they will be bused back to vote for the NPP, thereby increasing their chances to win more Parliamentary seats.
3. INFLATION OF THE NPP NUMBERS: By restricting the registration process to the district offices, it becomes easier for Jean Mensah and her people to manipulate the electoral equipment and process to inflate the number of registered voters for the NPP — something they cannot do when the process is carried out in the full glare of the numerous party members at the branch level, where NDC party members and supporters will throng to act as watch dogs.
WHY THE OBSESSION WITH BREAKING THE EIGHT (8)?
The reason why the President Nana Addo is hell-bent on transferring power to an NPP person, preferably Vice President Dr. Bawumiah, is not farfetched. Dr. Bawumia will be the best person to cover up the serious crimes that have been committed since they took office. The list of crimes is long, and includes, but is not limited to:
a) financial loss to the state;
b) Covid-19 funds embezzled
c) the PDS scandal;
d) destruction of lands and water bodies from galamsey operations owned by NPP government officials and sympathizers;
e) family and friends' damage to the nation (headed by Ken Ofori Attah, Gabby Okyere Darko, Asante Bediatuo and the rest);
f) the brutal loss of human lives (e.g., Ahmed Suale, the alleged assassination of Dr. Bawumia’s assistant, the guy who leaked the video of the stashing of huge sums of money, the electoral violence that resulted in the death of eight(8) people and injuries to fifteen(15) at Techiman);
g) the brutality meted out at Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
Nana Addo is now gripped in Atychiphobia and the only way he will break loose from this fear and rest when he leaves office is to pass the baton to his protégé.
THE NDC PARTY’S RESOLVE TO RESIST
To safeguard our democracy and ensure that the will of the people is not subverted, it is incumbent on all opposition political parties to take a principled stance against any form of election rigging. It is against this backdrop that, in preparation for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, the NDC has made a resounding resolve and commitment to resist all attempts by Jean Mensah, Electoral Commission, and the ruling government to rig the process. The resolve underscores the party’s unwavering commitment to its values and the principles of democracy, transparency, probity, accountability, and social justice by way of:
1. PUBLIC AWARENESS: The NDC will continue to spread the news of Jean Mensah and the EC’s plans to manipulate the electoral process and rig the 2024 elections for the NPP. It should be the commitment of every Ghanaian, not only NDC members, to resist the rigging plans. We will not allow a repeat of elections 2020.
2. PUBLIC DISOBEDIENCE: It must be made clear that the NDC will not hesitate to physically prevent people who are bused to vote in constituencies they do not hail from or reside in. Therefore, anybody who allows himself or herself to be bused to different districts to register during this limited registration exercise so they can vote during the elections, risks attracting trouble for themselves. The NDC and the people in those constituencies will physically prevent them from voting.
3. VIGILANCE FROM NOW UNTTILL ELECTIONS: Between now and elections, NDC members and the general public should/will monitor the environments and activities of the EC with rapt attention. Any suspicious move on the part of the EC should be disseminated, using social media and other news outlets to draw awareness and to help prevent any surprises from these architects of electoral theft.
4. ALL NDC MEMBERS TO BE “POLLING AGENTS” ON ELECTION DAY: The 2024 elections, as we all know, will be a “do or die” affair. It is, therefore, incumbent upon all of us to see ourselves as “polling agents.” We will hang around after voting and vigilantly watch the entire process until the votes are counted and results declared. Doing so will minimize the tendency for party agents to be compromised or influenced. Such will help ensure that the right figures are reported.
CONCLUSION
The 2024 elections are crucial in our democratic dispensation. Realizing that legitimate ways of winning the elections will be an illusion for the NPP, President Addo and Vice President Dr. Bawumia are bent on using Jean Mensah and the EC to help the NPP hold on to power. The NDC has vowed to resist any such attempts. Our unflinching commitment to prevent any attempts at rigging the elections is informed by our belief that the will and voice of the people must be protected and upheld.
In upholding electoral integrity, the NDC seeks to defend the principles upon which our democracy is built. As party members and citizens, we should all embrace this stance and support all efforts aimed at ensuring that Jean Mensah, EC, and the ruling government do not debase our democracy. We must do everything in our power to ensure that our democratic process remains strong and vibrant, and that the 2024 elections will be free and fair. That’s the only way we save our country.
May God strengthen us to do more than necessary to rescue our country from the NPP and the EC. And may God bless the people of Ghana!
Thomas Elleamo Yankey
International Relations Professional
Atlanta, USA
Source: Thomasyankey@gmail.com
