By Maxwell Okamafo Addo
While the Electoral Commission ( EC) has begun the limited voter registration exercise to roll new eligible Ghanaians onto the Voter register, the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress ( NDC) Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, and the General Secretary, Mr. Franklin Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey decided to fly out of the country Whilst this important exercise is ongoing.
A very reliable source has it on authority that their absence is a protest against the new Director of Elections in the party, Dr. Omane Boamah. According to my source, funds meant for monitoring the exercise are said to have not passed through the administrative processes. But rather, was given to the new director of elections directly for disbursement. This means the party has not learned its lessons. In protest of this, the General Secretary and the Chairman of the party boycotted the process.
This heavily questions their commitment to the party when it matters most.
Aside from the usual cosmetic press conferences, this is the time they have to be seen more in the trenches to lead the onslaught to see more members of the party get registered.
When the EC began the process on September 12, 2023, there were reports of device failure at the strongholds of the NDC. This therefore should ignited the leadership of the party to go beyond the usual talking to let their actions get the EC to cut out the alleged plot to disenfranchise supporters of the NDC in areas noted to be the strongholds of the party but here we are. Rather they are cooling off outside the country because they have been sidestepped so those who can do it should do it for them to see.
With or without the presence of the Chairman of the NDC and the General Secretary, the limited voters’ registration exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC) is ongoing in all the 268 District offices of the commission nationwide for eligible Ghanaians, who have turned 18 and above to be enrolled on the register.
Leaders of any serious political party will know that the exercise is a major stepping stone towards the conduct of the 2024 general elections in Ghana.
The NDC seems to be relying on its legal processes against the EC but the question is, can a leopard change its colours?
The reliance of the party to have served EC with an injunction application is laughable because the exercise is still ongoing.
The NDC itself broke a similar legal process in the past when the outgone Chairman of the Eastern Region popularly known as Jowak was served with an injunction to stop the regional Congress from electing a new Chairman but the party ignored the injunction served on the Chairman and even organized the elections at his blind side. He is still in court challenging the party. Today we even see a regional chairman contestant who lost the bid to become the Eastern Regional Chairman of the party being appointed to a national executive position in the party.
What is so important for all the two high-ranking officials of the party to be out of the country whilst such an important exercise is going on in the country leaves much to be desired. It is just unbelievable. It is not even as if they are out there seeking medical attention.
We must be serious as a party. As the largest opposition party in the country, we should be ready to win power in 2024. We must take things very seriously.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com