The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Navrongo has leveled an allegation of transporting “non-residents” to the area for the voter registration exercise against Tangoba Abayage, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate and Upper East Regional Minister.

In the allegation, the party said Ms. Abayage has connived with the Ashanti Regional chairman of the NPP to “fraudulently bus over 5,000 potential voters from Sabon Zongo in Kumasi and other areas to the constituency” to broaden her chances of winning in election 2020.

Four buses, the NDC alleges, have already arrived in Navrongo with occupants who are total strangers to the town and have been spotted at various registration centres. The party added that its investigations have further revealed three additional buses were currently heading to Navrongo from Takoradi and Accra.

The NDC, which has vowed not to sit down and watch the actions of the Minister and “cohorts”, leveled the allegations against her on Monday at a presser to draw the attention of law enforcement agencies and Traditional authorities to what they described as an illegality.

In their statement, the party said Ms. Abayage is engaging in the act due to the enviable popularity of their Parliamentary candidate, Sampson Tangombu Chiragia, the achievements of John Dramani Mahama and to save her from a “devastating and excruciating defeat in 2020”.

The party also stated that the abysmal performance of the Minister and the NPP government, which was going to cause their defeat in the December 7 polls, is another reason people are being bused to the constituency to influence their chances.

Selanwiah S. Abdul-Mumin (PhD), the party constituency scribe addressing the media urged Traditional authorities in the area to seriously look into the concern and call the perpetrators to order.

Meanwhile, the Navrongo central constituency NPP chairman, Anthony Kofi Mensah, when contacted flatly denied the allegation against his Parliamentary candidate, explaining that people who have come into the constituency are natives and not strangers as the NDC claims.

Read below the full statement of the NDC:

REGIONAL MINISTER’S FRAUDULENT BUSSING OF NON RESDENTS TO NAVRONGO CENTRAL , AN AFRONT TO THE Will*OF* THE PEOPLE.

Good afternoon distinguished friends from the media;

We have invited you to this press conference at a period that serves as backdrop to our concerns about the effects that the unbridled illegal and fraudulent busing of non-residents into our constituency to register which has the domino impact of influencing the choice of the people on 7th December, 2020 alas, the peoples tolerance have a limitation.

The current political state of affairs in the constituency reflects a devastating and excruciating defeat going into the general elections and as such the Regional Minister is engaged in political shenanigans to bend the will of the people of Navrongo. The failed Regional Minister is akin to policies and projects that are inimical to the development of Navrongo; a case in point is the blatant and unashamedly opposition of the upgrading of the Navrongo airstrip into an airport which would have otherwise brought massive opportunities to the area.

The enviable popularity of the parliamentary candidate for NDC, Sampson Tangombu Chiragia (STC) has sent shivers to the inept Regional Minister who since assumption into office as the Regional Ministry of Upper East has done nothing to alleviate the suffering of the masses in the constituency.

The achievements of the NDC government under President John Dramani Mahama and Hon Mark Owen Woyongo as Regional Minister have raised the bar too high in Navrongo. Noted among other unprecedented developmental projects are the state-of-the-art lorry station, OLL SHS, construction of feeder roads and bridges linking various communities, asphalting of Navrongo township roads, construction of Clinics and CHIPS compounds, bore holes and Navrongo water project.

As she is aware of her massive electoral defeat which might definitely be her political waterloo going into the general elections, she has gone into cohort with the Ashanti Regional chairman of NPP to engage in illegal machinations to fraudulently bus people from Kumasi and other areas into Navrongo Central to influence who becomes the member of parliament in 2021. Four buses are already in Navrongo with people who are not residents of Navrongo Central. Three buses have currently left Sabon Zongo in Kumasi, Accra and Takoradi. Because she is oblivious to the wind of change, strong enough to sweep her into political oblivion, she has been emboldened to bus in 5000 potential voters.

The NDC is a peaceful and a responsible political party that believes in the rule of law and the sanctity of free, fair and transparent elections. We would however not sit and watch in despair or in bemusement; we would rise up and defend the interest of democracy, we would rise up and defend the interest of rule of law and we would rise up and defend the voice of the people.

We would not throw stones, we would not use guns, we would not use machetes, we would not use bows and arrows but we can assure the lawless Regional Minister, the will of the people will be protected and defended.

We would also want to send a word of caution to the unsuspecting people who are not residents of Navrongo Central to resist being used as batteries of heinous crime. It is utterly odious and wicked to be sent to a constituency to register to vote when you are not a resident; it is alien to our constitution and must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians including the inept Regional minister who is supposed to be a honourable person. We in the NDC want to assure those who will be used to carry out this unjust act that, they will be met with equal measure and NOBODY should blame the NDC for any eventuality that might occur in the process of defending the will of the people of Navrongo.

LONG LIVE THE NDC, LONG LIVE NAVRONGO AND LONG LIVE GHANA.
Comrade Selanwiah S. Abdul-Mumin (PhD)
Constituency Secretary
Signed