Opinions of Sunday, 7 February 2021

Columnist: Manasseh Azure Awuni

2020 Election petition has exposed the inefficiencies of NDC in protecting their votes

Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte in the witness box Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte in the witness box

Every sane person in your party knew the EC was not on your side. So you were sent to the so-called “strong room” to be your party’s eyes and ears.

You were to watch the EC and your opponents, who appeared to be in better books of the EC.

We saw that excellent “An African Election” documentary by Jareth Merz. Rojo Mettle Nunoo was in the strong room in that documentary.

We saw the EC official who was captured live peering into a computer and saying “the figures from Ashanti keep changing” or something to that effect. This was in 2008.

The situation had not changed in 2020. If there was any change at all, it wasn’t for the better; the credibility of the EC has dipped since Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan left office as its chairman.

You also knew that your party, like your opponents, will miss no opportunity to steal if you were offered the least opportunity. So in that arena, trust was non-existent.

Yet, in the most critical part of the process, both of you left the strong room.

The judge is now asking why both of you left at the same time. He’s asking why one of you did not stay even if there was the urgent need to get a piece of information out.

In what you and your followers assume to be a brilliant response to judge, you say the judge’s question suggests that the EC’s chairperson could not be trusted.

Listening to the news on Joy FM, I expected to hear a follow-up question from the judge, but it did not come. If you had trusted EC and its chairperson, would you have been there in the first place? If you knew that, in your absence, everything would be done accurately and honestly, why didn’t you rest at home and go to sign when collation was done?

The unintended consequence of this petition is that it has exposed the inefficiencies of the petitioners in protecting their votes.

It happened in 2016. And it happened in 2020.It may happen again in 2024 and forever if your followers don’t tell you the simple truth—that you need to sit up and prepare more seriously before the next crucial December 7.

It may happen again because telling the unpleasant truth in this town is like an act of suicide.

It may happen again because some people will treat this simple observation I have made here as if I said the Prophet Mohammed was a Christian.