The Member of Parliament for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim is challenging the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) Jean Mensa, to disclose the identity of persons or groups who are planning o subvert the will of the people during the 2024 elections.
According to him, the claims by the EC Chair at a huge platform, National Elections Security Taskforce, where the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Defense Staff and other service commanders were present to discuss preparations towards the 2024 elections, speaks volumes and cannot be washed under the carpet.
On Tuesday, 5th December, 2023, EC Chair in her opening remarks before the closed-door meeting by the National Security taskforce at the Polie headquarters said ……. “Presently one of the major challenges we face is that whereas the violence experienced in elections in the early 2000s and the early 90s were birthed out of genuine causes and disagreement, what we witness today is a predetermined well-orchestrated strategy to unleash violence before, during, and after the elections for the sole purpose of undermining the credibility and integrity of elections and denting image of institutions such as the EC, Police and other security agencies.”
But the MP, who is also the 1st deputy Minority Whip, observed that, for the Chair of an Electoral body to make such open statements at this crucial period suggests she is privy to some orchestration and is uncomfortable about the outcomes and her comment is only a desperate cry after allowing herself to be manipulated.
“Did you listen to the comment by the Special prosecutor? When he himself said ‘m’ay3 ankonam,’ to wit, I am alone and that when he competes serving his term he will move on?…. Did you listen to the Bugri Naabu tape, when he said the NPP gurus and NPP Police Commissioners met to conspire about how to manipulate the 2024 elections? …. he asked host of IDEAS Exchange, Eric Ahianyo on TV XYZ.
He emphasized… “Who were they referring to? The government in power and the ruling New Patriotic Party who were saying that if they don’t remove the IGP, they cannot win the next elections. Bugri Naabu was a former Northern regional NPP Chairman and he did that with Superintendent George Asare and COP Alex Mensah who now wants to contest on NPP’s ticket in Bekwai.
Ahmed Ibrahim questioned further …. ‘If you are EC Chair, and you hear these things, and it is the same President, Nana Akufo Addo who appointed you, you can’t mention his name. So you will lament. I bet you if the person Jean Mensa is referring to, were to be the NDC, this evening they would have picked them in their houses”.
Asked why he sounds more convinced, the aggressors are people in government, this was his response. …“The fingers are not being pointed at the NDC. Jean Mensa cannot mention Nana Akufo Addo direct. He cannot mention COP Alex Mensah, Bugri Naabu and all those conspirators directly so definitely, it will be lamentations.”
He debunked assertions that the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, NDC’s ‘boot for Boot;’ comment and the recent clean-up exercise at former President John Mahama’s office during which they brandished cutlasses and other implements to ward off a pro-NPP group which had threatened to picket there is the reason for the EC’s fears.
It will be recalled that Ministry of National Security was compelled to issue a last minute advise to the #Fixing The Country group, led by NPP’s deputy Director of Communications, Ernest Owusu Bempah, to call off their picketing to avert a bloody clash, when it became obvious the NDC youth in Accra were bent on protecting the private property.
Ahmed Ibrahim, in his concluding comments on the issue said the onus now lies on the Police just as the EC to be transparent, fair and firm in executing their mandate to build confidence in the electoral system and to ward off any attempt to rig the elections to save the peace of this country.
