General News of Thursday, 3 July 2014

Source: The New Statesman

Akufo-Addo raises red flag about electoral register

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

The 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who is also an aspiring flagbearer for the party in 2016 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has strongly questioned the credibility of Ghana's electoral register that was used in the last elections.

Nana Akufo Addo said the electoral register is completely out of tune with the register of all equivalent neighbouring countries, stressing: "Even South Africa, which has the highest involvement of people in politics of the entire continent cannot register such huge percentage of people for their register".

Nana Akufo Addo cited a number of countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and other countries in Africa that all have electoral registers well below 50 per cent, however, in Ghana the figure is 56%..

He made the observation while addressing members of the United Kingdom (UK) branch of the NPP.

He sees this as a critical task before the New Patriotic Party and wants the party’s leadership to do something about this questionable register in Ghana.

Nana Akufo-Addo charged the party’s leadership to outline a programme to compel the changes necessary to ensure a clean and credible election in 2016.

Nana Akufo-Addo Stated that; "if nothing at-all, the Supreme Court case in Ghana after the 2012 elections showed abundance evidence of double registration and all the things that went on, that we all saw with our eyes before the Supreme Court, and there is a need for all of us to work together to bring about the changes that will give Ghana a credible electoral system".