The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, has dismissed allegations by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) concerning discrepancies in the voters register.
According to him, the assertions by the opposition party are unfounded and lacking evidence.
Speaking at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, Mr Kodua challenged the NDC to present their claims to the Commission for proper scrutiny.
Lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua speaking at the meeting
“Not long ago, certain people staged a demonstration against the Electoral Commission based on what they perceived to be discrepancies in an attempt to rig the election for the New Patriotic Party (NPP),” he stated.
“Despite several calls from key stakeholders, including ourselves, asking the NDC to raise legitimate concerns, we even suggested they hold a press conference and invite all of us to review these allegations. Today, as we speak, the NDC is yet to provide the so-called allegations and discrepancies to the Electoral Commission. Let it be on record.”
He further expressed doubt over the validity of the NDC’s claims, adding: “I challenge them. If the NDC indeed has any further allegations, they should bring them forward for interrogation and to see whether the Electoral Commission has addressed them. It’s not a question of having a leaking roof and simply mopping the floor.”
The IPAC meeting was convened to address concerns regarding the voters’ register as the December 7 election approaches.
However, Mr Kodua emphasised that the NPP remains confident in the integrity of the register and the EC’s ability to address any legitimate concerns.
Members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Bosome-Freho Constituency, a key constituency with deep cracks and divisions among its leadership, have finally smoked the peace pipe, with a promise to work in unison to ‘break the 8’.
Despite several efforts by party stalwarts to bring lasting solutions to the constituency, the high level of entrenched positions by a former Distict Chief Executive (DCE), Yaw Danso; the current DCE, Kofi Adu-Amoateng; as well as Constituency Chairman, Patrick Kwaku Frimpong, have been a major hindrance to such efforts.
Some scenes from the meeting
The party’s Council of Elders and patrons have had a series of engagements aimed at resolving some teething issues among the aforementioned persons in the constituency but have yielded no concrete results.
However, on Monday, 30th September 2024, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, during his tour of the constituency, engaged the leaders to look beyond personal interests and forge ahead in delivering a historic landslide electoral victory for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and parliamentary candidate (PC) for the constituency.
After a series of talks, Yaw Danso, the former DCE, took the stage and told the party he cannot disrespect the Regional Chairman, and that he had let go all disputes against the constituency.
The acceptance and submission to peace by Yaw Danso is his first public acceptance.
Prior to the 2016 victory, Yaw Danso, a vociferous former organiser, had a section of the constituency on his side, and he is now ready to let peace prevail within the party.
He gave an assurance of his total support and commitment to the PC, Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, and all key stakeholders to team up for the greater good of the party and the constituency.
Giving further credence to the unity, the current Constituency Chairman, Patrick Kwaku Frimpong, embraced Yaw Danso as a sign of peace and unity, with the current DCE also following suit.
He also assured of working wholeheartedly with all to achieve his electoral target.
The icing on the cake was when these key party stakeholders engaged in a hearty embrace with constituency executives and other members of the party; a gesture that was welcomed by the Regional Chairman’s team.
Satisfied by the show of love and forgiveness, Chairman Wontumi was grateful to all factions for understanding the essence of smoking the peace pipe. He gave an assurance that he would personally ensure the constituency got the needed support to augment their renewed desire to ‘break the 8’ together.
The Regional Chairman’s tour of the constituency is the 20th, and he will be meeting with community leaders in the constituency, embark on a meet-and-greet campaign to sell the policies of the party to them.
The Regional Chairman is in the Bosome-Freho Constituency with the party’s former First Vice Chairman, Kwabena Nsenkyere; Beatrice Owusu, a regional campaign team member, among other high-profile party members.
The Electoral Commission has urged all stakeholders attending Tuesday’s crucial IPAC meeting to come along with evidence and data supporting any discrepancies or concerns they may have with the Provisional Voters Register (PVR).
According to the EC, this will help ensure that all stakeholders can work together to address any outstanding issues and concerns with the Register.
The Commission made this appeal while insisting that, to date, the National Democratic Congress, (NDC) has not provided any data on the discrepancies for which reason the party has requested a forensic audit of the PVR, despite repeated requests from the Commission.
The Commission is therefore expecting that the NDC and other Stakeholders will make their data available during the IPAC meeting on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, ahead of the IPAC Meeting, the Commission has reiterated the fact that production of the Final Voters Register is a process, not an event.
The Commission therefore assured the general public and all stakeholders that it remains open and committed to working with IPAC to address all concerns about the register.Source: Myjoyonline.com
The Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, HE Hajia Samira Bawumia, will on Tuesday, 8th October, 2024, visit the stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Ashanti Region, to begin her campaign tour in the region ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
She will tour the region and visit (20)constituencies for phase one alongside the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
The tour which will end on the Tuesday, 15th October, 2024, will commence with a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom II, at the Manhyia Palace. She will also have various engagements with the various traditional authorities, religious leaders, opinion leaders and other interest groups in the various constituencies as part of her tour.
In view of this, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Party has constituted a nine (9) man committee to oversee preparations ahead of the tour. The committee which is chaired by the Member of Parliament for the Offinso North Constituency, Hon. Augustine Collins Ntim, has other members such as Martin Ameyaw as its Secretary, the Member of Parliament for the Asokwa Constituency, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei and the Ashanti Regional Women’s Organiser of the Party, Nana Ama Ampomah.
Other members include; the Ashanti Regional Nasara Coordinator for the Party, Alhaji Saalim Bamba, the Regional Treasurer of the Party, Hajia Zainab Sallow, Madam Eva Osei Poku, Oheneba Serwaa Bonsu and Beatrice Owusu
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION APPEARS DETERMINED TO RIG THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS FOR THE NPP AND MUST BE STOPPED TO PREVENT POTENTIAL CIVIL UNREST
It is a well established fact that the Electoral Commission’s current Provisional Voters Register is replenished with unimaginable errors and discrepancies, which were discovered by NDC’s crack Elections Directorate Team, and admitted by the Electoral Commission without a flinch of argument. Interestingly enough, in the face of such overwhelming evidence of serious discrepancies in the Register, the Electoral Commission remains adamant to the demand of the NDC and lately, Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng’s Movement for Change to allow the Voters Register to be subjected to a forensic audit, and made accurate and fit-for-purpose for the general elections.
This attitude of the Electoral Commission reveals a clear intention of the Commission to rig the 2024 general elections for the ruling New Patriotic Party without doubt. It is important to keep in mind that the only two entities in the country, which are strongly opposed to the call for forensic audit are the Electoral Commission itself, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and none other.
It would be recalled that although the Electoral Commission provided a copy of the Provisional Register to the NDC barely a couple of hours before the last exhibition of the register began, the NDC was able to quickly discover some very serious discrepancies, which are not in the nature of errors usually expected after a normal compilation of a voters register, and which the Constitutional Instrument (C.I. 91) as amended by CI 126 would have never envisaged and adequately provided a cure for in its regulations.
In light of the seriousness of the discrepancies, the credibility of the Provisional Voters Register is in obvious doubt, and no well-meaning Ghanaian would believe that the Electoral Commission is capable of curing the problems with the register by its own internal means, especially by their current crop of Commissioners and management staff, who are full of previous NPP activists and operatives, and for why they have lost the trust and confidence in the eyes of the citizenry.
It is worth mentioning that the Commission itself is now very untrustworthy in the eyes of all stakeholder to the extent that every activity it would undertake from now to the declaration of the final results of the general elections shall require very close monitoring and scrutiny.
In light of all the above, the NDC has demanded for a forensic audit of the register after mobilizing its supporters across the country to embark on massive demonstrations in all the 16 regional capitals of the country on Tuesday, September 17th, 2024. Just a day ago, Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng’s Movement for Change, in a petition addressed to the Commission, also joined the call for a comprehensive auditing of the Voters Register, which is akin to what NDC has called for.
Regrettably, notwithstanding all of these loud calls on the Commission, the Commission responded to NDC’s petition by basically stating that no forensic audit shall be allowed.
The Commission is supported in this stance only by the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Their only argument is that the Constitutional Instruments (CI’s) applicable for the Commission’s management of the elections stipulate the processes through which errors in the register may be corrected after exhibition of the register.
To us, Lawyers in Search of Democracy (LINSOD), this argument is lame, and it reveals clearly that the Electoral Commission is in cahoots with the NPP to rig the December elections for the governing NPP.
The NDC, as a major stakeholder in the elections does not trust the Electoral Commission to be able to correct the deliberate discrepancies and errors, which were orchestrated and perpetrated by the Commission itself, and LINSOD perfectly agree with the position taken by the NDC.
Again, it is our position that the deliberate discrepancies caused in the register by the EC itself are not those contemplated by the C.I. 91 as amended by C.I. 126, and therefore, the resolution of such discrepancies are not adequately provided for by the regulations.
More importantly, the forensic audit demanded by the NDC and the Movement for Change does not in anyway contravene any provision of the controlling CI 91 as amended by CI 126. Indeed, the outcome of the forensic audit shall be consistent with the ultimate expectations contained in the provisions of the applicable C.I’s.
Accordingly, we of LINSOD see no other reason why the Electoral Commission and the New Patriotic Party will continue to object to the demand for the forensic audit of the Provisional Voters Register.
The only obvious purpose for their strong objection is because they have put the register in a form that shall enable the Electoral Commission to rig the elections for the NPP. We call on the leadership of the NDC and Movement for Change, and all their supporters, as well as all well-meaning Ghanaians including independent organizations and CSOs to resist more fiercely, this attempt by the EC to rig the elections for the NPP.
Democracy must be reflected in the basic principles of transparency, accountability, and integrity, and same should be demanded by the citizenry all the time.
PRESS RELEASE
TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES
DATE: 27TH SEPTEMBER, 2024
The African Electoral Institute (AEI) has read the EC’S statement that all discrepancies in the voter register have been largely resolved and will be exhibited online and that the exhibition of the provisional voters’ register online is part of the process to identify and correct errors identified by stakeholders.
The African Electoral Institute’s
concern about the EC’S intent to exhibit the voters’ register online
highlights the digital divide and potential exclusion of marginalized communities from the electoral process by the use of an online exhibition by the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
The African Electoral Institute’s key Concerns with the online exhibition of the voters register are;
1. Digital accessibility by the rural communities without the internet or smartphones who will face challenges accessing the online exhibition. This will lead to the exclusion of the rural and marginalised communities and ultimately disenfranchising many electorates.
The discrepancies which are enumerated by stakeholders and which the EC asserts have been largely resolved, may not be verifiable or will be difficult to verify by these stakeholders if an online exhibition is used thereby eroding the element of transparency which is important in an electoral process.
In conclusion, the African Electoral Institute’s call underscores the need for inclusive and transparent electoral processes that will cater to the diverse electorates on the Ghanaian voters register who are educated, illiterate,rural and urban, because Ghana’s electoral process is not electronic, it is manual therefore, a manual exhibition should be employed with the use of electronic platforms as a backup.
SIGNED Joshua Adjin-Adjin Tettey Director of Communications and External Relations
0540904550
Ex. WO Alhaji Yussif Mahamah
Electoral Security Department
0243311965
Engr. Judge Hasford Quartey
*Deputy Director of Communications and External Relations.
0547510174
About Us:
African Electoral Institute ( AEI) is a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) founded to deliver sustainable electoral solutions to Emerging and Developed Democracies to strengthen, augment, and build electoral stakeholders capacity and participation on electoral issues through electoral education on voter’s rights and freedom, electoral research, election monitoring, election observation, election results collation, election security awareness and training of polling agents and elections directors underscoring the fact that “elections are won at the polling stations’’ and the participation of all identifiable electoral stakeholders in an electoral process such as Political Parties,
Governmental Institutions, underpinning transparency and accountability for a free, fair, and credible elections in Africa and the wider world.
We are on: africanelectoralinstitute.com
X: @AInstitute9287
Lindedin: African Electoral Institute
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has predicted a one-touch victory for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Presidential Candidate of the party, in the December 7 general election.
According to him, the NPP government led by Akufo-Addo has done tremendously well in all sectors, and it truly deserves another opportunity to continue with the good works.
“We’re going to win this year’s election by one-touch; no ways about that. We intend to do more for Ghanaians, especially in the areas of road infrastructure, education, health, etc,” he said.
Speaking at the official inauguration of Bawumia Volunteers 2024 (B24) held at Rattary Park Dome on Friday, 27th September 2024, Chairman Wontumi called on the rank and file of the party, especially the volunteers group, not to waste their time on campaign of insults, but rather publicise the unprecedented achievements of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
Some scenes from the event
The Ashanti Regional NPP chairman, who is also the 2024 Campaign Manager for Dr. Bawumia, enumerated the achievements of the government, urging the volunteer members to arm themselves with convincing messages for the electorate.
Chairman Wontumi said the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government had done many projects, such as Agenda 111 Hospital projects, One District, One Factory, road infrastructure, among others.
He also seized the opportunity to deny ever insulting Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
According to him, the host of a show asked him a question and he pointed out that during Prof. Jane Opoku-Agyemang’s tenure as Minister of Education, she couldn’t advise former President Mahama that the Free SHS policy proposed by candidate Akufo-Addo was good.
He said she couldn’t also advise Mr. Mahama not to cancel the teacher and nurses training allowance, adding that the NDC government couldn’t also provide common chalk to schools and that was what he meant in response to a question posed to him.
The Ashanti Regional NPP chairman, who was not happy about the persistent insults on the Clergy, Nananom, Imams and even Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, adding that Mr. Mahama and the NDC leadership were behind Kelvin Taylor and others who are always on the social and traditional media insulting people.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, dared the NDC to name just one hospital project they started and commissioned in the region and he was ready to resign as the Regional Minister.
He cautioned the rank of the NPP not to fall for the lies and propaganda of the NDC ahead of the December polls.
The Minister said the NPP government had done great works in the region and encouraged all volunteer members and communicators to spread the good news of the NPP to ensure the “breaking the 8” agenda materialises.
As part of strategic moves to ensure effective door-to-door, market-to-market and community-to-community campaign to maximise votes for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Ashanti Regional branch of the NPP has officially launched its volunteer group dubbed: “Bawumia Volunteers 2024 (B24).”
The official launch was held at Rattary Park Dome on Friday, 27th September 2024, and it brought together high-profile party officials, chief executive officers (CEOs) of state institutions from the region, some former and current CEOs, Members of Parliament (MPs), as well as incumbent MPs.
Some scenes from the launching ceremony
The National Chairperson of B24, who doubles as Ghana’s Education Minister, Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, said the achievements of the NPP government were unprecedented.
Chairman Wontumi receiving cheers from participants
Making an evidence-based powerpoint presentation, the participants were totally amazed at the massive achievements of the government in the educational sector, where his presentation focused more.
Dr. Adutwum, who is also the MP for the Bosomtwe Constituency, called on voters not to make a mistake to vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) since that would be a terrible retrogression.
According to him, education is the bedrock of every developed country or society, and the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has laid a solid foundation, for which reason all eligible voters must turn out on December 7 and vote for Dr. Bawumia, who is number one on the ballot, to implement his digitalisation agenda, among other great policies and programmes for accelerated growth.
Dr.Osei Yaw Adutwum
B24 is aimed at ensuring co-ordinated efforts for victory for Dr. Bawumia in this year’s presidential election. B24 is a volunteer group that is supposed to work within the 47 constituencies in the Ashanti Region to ensure the NPP wins the elections convincingly. The group goes by the motto: “Hard work is our hallmark”.
A section of the B24 volunteers
On his part, the Middle Belt Campaign Co-ordinator for Bawumia’s campaign, who is also the MP for Effiduase Asokore, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, explained that B24, which is led by Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, is supposed to harmonise identifiable groups across the country to ensure a united and a well-coordinated campaign.
He said the Ashanti Region has every reason to make sure Dr. Bawumia become President.
Dr.Osei Yaw Adutwum,Mr Simon Osei-Mensah , Chairman Wontumi among others
Dr. Afriye said ahead of the NPP primaries, Dr. Bawumia tasked them to work hard for him to win the party’s flagbearership race. He disclosed that Dr. Bawumia had been asking when the group was going to be launched and when Dr. Adutwum accepted the chairmanship, they needed to launch it for their activities to start on Saturday, 28th September 2024.
According to him, Dr. Adutwum is a goalgetter and humble, and he needs the support of all to ensure that they achieve their set goals.
The Middle Belt Bawumia’s Campaign co-ordinator said Ashanti would furnish Dr. Bawumia with not less than 85% of votes in the 7th December polls. He added that if elections were held today, the NDC would lose.
According to him, NDC’s own research says they are losing seats and they are aware. “The latest polls indicate that the NPP will win 18 more seats; hence, NDC has started instigating groups to cause confusion in Accra to discourage voters,” he said.
He added that all the research show the NPP would regain all the seats it lost in 2020.
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Running Mate to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has expressed strong confidence that the NPP will retain the Offinso North seat in the Ashanti Region with Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah.
Dr.Fred Kyei Asamoah and Napo
According to him, the enthusiasm exuded by the constituents of Offinso North shows they are fully behind Dr. Bawumia and Dr. Asamoah for a decisive NPP victory in the December 7 general election.
Dr. Bawumia’s running mate, who is affectionately called Napo, made the remarks in Offinso North on Wednesday, 25th September 2024, during his campaign tour.
Some scenes from the tour
After the Offinso North tour, the former Energy Minister and incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South in Kumasi, wrote:
The full write-up is published below:
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh ( Napo)
Running Mate to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia writes:
Offinso North has made it clear that it will not remain passive and allow the reins of government to slip to the NDC. They recognise that this NPP government has constructed more schools, roads, and sports facilities than any other government, in addition to implementing other novel initiatives.
For these reasons, they are casting their votes for a brand new president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, a man they trust to introduce and drive innovative, impactful ideas, with a strong focus on job creation and business growth to transform Ghana in its next chapter.
Dr.Fred Kyei Asamoah speaking at the rally
The enthusiasm in Offinso North shows they are fully behind Dr. Bawumia and Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah for a decisive NPP victory in December With God, it is possible!
On his part, the 2024 NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Offinso North, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, who has been embarking on an aggressive grassroots campaign, commended the constituents for the show of love.
He was confident of retaining the seat to help continue the good works done by the NPP government.
Dr. Asamoah appealed to all registered voters to turn out in their numbers, come Saturday, 7th December 2024, and vote massively for Dr. Bawumia, who is number one on the ballot and vote number one for him (Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah) as the next MP for Offinso North.
