Asiedu Nketiah
THE animosity between the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission (EC), seems far from over.
The somewhat cold relationship between the two bodies, which reached a crescendo during and after the 2020 polls, was rekindled on Wednesday when the NDC declined the EC’s invitation to attend the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting.
According to the NDC, they intentionally refused to attend the important event, which was to be used to take stock of the 2020 polls, because they said the current EC leadership lacked credibility.
A copy of a written letter, confirming the NDCs refusal to attend the IPAC meeting, which was authored by the NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia on Wednesday, April 21, 2020 said, “The National Democratic Congress declined an invitation by the Electoral Commission of Ghana to attend IPAC meeting to review the 2020 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections, which was scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 2020.”
Asiedu Nketia, in the short letter, justified the NDCs leadership’s reason not to attend such a crucial meeting and stressed that the largest opposition political party does not regret its action.
“The party took this decision because of lack of candor, odious duplicity, and open bias that was displayed by the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission in favour of the New Patriotic Party in the conduct of the 2020 general election,” he said.
Despite not providing any credible document to indeed prove that the EC was bias and rigged the 2020 elections to favour the NPP, the NDC chief scribe went ahead to state that the current EC was not fit to supervise IPAC meetings.
Asiedu Nketia used some strong words against the EC, and insisted that it was clear that polls were rigged to favour the ruling NPP even though when the NDC sent the case to the Supreme Court they could not provide a single evidence to prove their claims.
“It is the considered view of the NDC that the current leadership of the Electoral Commission who supervised the manipulation of the 2020 general elections and the stolen verdict that resulted from same, lack the integrity, credibility and impartiality to lead any such discussions or review of the elections they rigged,” Asiedu Nketia added.
The NDC General Secretary, who did not treat Jean Mensa with a kid’s glove in the letter, said his party leadership were convinced beyond every reasonable doubt that the EC chairperson was not fair to them during the 2020 polls.
“The NDC has thoroughly examined the dubious role that Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission played in the rigging of the 2020 general elections,” Asiedu Nketia said.
The NDC chieftain then sent strong signal that the NDC may review its working relationship with the EC, going forward, saying, “Moving forward, the party shall review its working relationship with the electoral management body and take appropriate steps to forestall the rigging of any future elections in the country.”
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi