Prof. Smart Sarpong, a Senior Research Fellow of the Kumasi Technical University, has called on the various political parties, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to assist the Electoral Commission deliver a better job instead of opposing the Commission.
NDC Communications Director, Sammy Gyamfi, in a statement dated June 5 accused the EC and the New Patriotic Party of adopting a wrong approach in the selection of a parliamentary candidate by the NPP for the upcoming Assin North by-election.
NDC Accuses EC Of Election Fraud
Sammy Gyamfi alleged an illegal plot by the EC and the governing party to smuggle the name of their parliamentary aspirant into the Assin North voters’ register, stating this action reeks of bias and has clouded the EC's judgement and interpretation of CI 127 as contained in the Commission’s document.
In a statement, the NDC Communication Officer claimed that the ruling party, in collaboration with the EC, plans to transfer and insert Charles Opoku’s name into the voters’ register despite him not being a registered voter in the Assin North constituency.
“We are closely monitoring this situation and shall take every legitimate step to ensure that this illegal plot is not carried out by the Electoral Commission and their collaborators in the NPP,” Mr. Gyamfi stressed.
EC Replies NDC
But the EC has described the allegations as unfounded and baseless saying "Ghana’s democracy has come of age and we call on Sammy Gyamfi to exercise maturity, decorum and truth in his discussions on the EC. We urge him to go out and campaign and leave the EC alone".
It also stated; "Over the years Sammy Gyamfi and his party have put out false claims aimed at maligning the integrity of the EC. This was evident in their petition to the Supreme Court after the 2020 Elections alleging that they had won the Elections.
"It is well known that they could not provide evidence in Court to support their allegations. This current allegation is no different. It is baseless and unfounded and a figment of the imagination of the National Communication Officer."
The Commission called on "all well-meaning Ghanaians to ignore" the NDC allegations.
'You Can't Beat EC, Join Them'
Tackling the matter during Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' morning programme, Prof. Smart Sarpong noted that the EC's role in Ghana's electoral system cannot be underrated and asked the parties to desist from tarnishing its image.
He urged the parties to support the EC to improve their works but not to say things that will bring its reputation into disrepute.
"Under this constitution, they are a body that is impossible to remove from our elections...If you can't beat the EC, you can't do anything election without the EC, join the EC; participate in everything and make sure it has become better. Let's make the EC better," he told Nana Yaw Kesseh.
He appealed to the NDC to find ways to amicably solve their differences with the EC.
"Let this be the final response in my view...We have a nation to build," he advised.
