The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region, has said the National Democratic Congress’ claims of state-sponsored ethnic discrimination against Voltarians and non-Akans in the ongoing voter registration exercise are just “tribal tirades, ugly noises and dirty propaganda”.

The Regional Chairman of the NPP, Makafui Woanya, told journalists at Aflao in the Ketu South constituency on Monday, 3 August 2020 the NDC’s allegations are part of a strategy by the biggest opposition party to court disaffection among Ewes against the government.

“What has been of serious concern and worry to us, as a party, has been the security situation following the ugly noises, the tribal tirades and dirty propaganda launched against the government and the security services by the NDC for the deployment of the security to enforce the closure of our international borders to stem the influx and spread of the coronavirus infection.”

According to him, the NDC’s propaganda caused the security personnel to abandon post at the borders leaving them “almost open to illegal immigrants and NDC registration contractors”.

“I must conclude by calling on the good people of the Volta region, particularly those in the diaspora, to stop swallowing the dirty NDC propaganda and to disregard the ugly noises and tribal tirades. It’s their strategy for soliciting funds and underserved sympathy”, he said.

“Whipping up of tribal sentiments and emotions of Voltarians during registration periods and voting has been an old trick and stock in trade of the NDC”.

A few days ago, former President John Mahama accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of using the military to frustrate people of the Volta region and non-Akans from registering.

In a statement on Saturday, 1 August 2020, Mr Mahama said: “This is not the Ghana our forebears toiled for and built!”

“Each and every successive President”, he noted, “left a peaceful, stable and united country”.

However, he observed, “The road President Akufo-Addo is taking our beautiful country through, using the military and party thugs to stop people from exercising their right to register and vote in the upcoming December elections, is dangerous and unacceptable”.

He alleged: ‘There have been many reports and video evidence, like the one in this post, of the President’s deployment and discriminatory use of soldiers to target our brothers and sisters in the Volta Region and wherever there are settlements of Voltarians and non-Akans”.

The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said: “Executive power must not be used to foment ethnic discrimination and abuse as is happening under Nana Akufo-Addo”.

“These calculated acts of ‘dehumanisation, disenfranchising Ghanaians and stripping them of their citizenship’ must end”, he insisted.

He promised: “They will surely never happen under a new NDC administration because we will foster a spirit of peace and unity in our nation”.

As Commander-in-Chief, Mr Mahama pledged, “I will not use our military in such a partisan manner to terrorise our own people, and in matters that are purely civil and dwell in the very heart of our constitutional democracy”.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission of Ghana has said the exercise has entered its sixth and final phase starting today, Saturday, 1 August 2020.

The exercise ends on Thursday, 6 August 2020.

The election management body has, thus, urged eligible voters who have not yet registered to try and do so.

It said in a statement that it is ensuring strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols at the centres.

"The Commission assures members of the public that it will enforce all the safety protocols at all Registration Centres throughout the country," it added.