– Says Asiedu Nketia as he exonerates Kpessa-Whyte & Rojo
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has provided some behind-the-scenes details of the events surrounding the disputes over the 2020 general election results, accusing the National Peace Council of compromising its neutrality and letting his party down.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, explained that the NDC agents at the Electoral Commission’s (EC) strongroom did nothing wrong, but were rather instructed to leave the strongroom, because the National Peace Council, had proposed a meeting between the NDC, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), international media, and the EC to verify the election results.
“We even have an Eastern region where the results that were collated in Koforidua, were different from the results they brought to Accra, so we brought all these things and said that, look, we are now going to win to go to court,” he said.
Addressing some NDC party faithful, Mr Asiedu Nketia, further explained that the National Peace Council had arranged a meeting at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra, where all parties would convene to continue the coalition process.
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However, he claimed that the NPP exerted pressure on the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensah, to announce the election results before the scheduled meeting could take place.
The NDC National Chairman, expressed disappointment in the National Peace Council, stating that they had let the NDC down and that their role in the events would have been included in the party’s initial statement, if he and others had known that the representatives at the EC strongroom would be called as witnesses.
He further explained that, the NDC’s actions were part of an arrangement made with the National Peace Council, which ultimately “let us down” pointing out that when his party realized the National Peace Council’s role would be used against them in court, they did not include it in their initial statements.
Mr Asiedu Nketia, further revealed that the NDC was unaware that their representatives at the EC’s office, Dr Micheal Kpesa-Whyte and Rojo Mettle Nunoo, would be called as witnesses adding that; if they had known, the role of the National Peace Council, would have been highlighted in their statements.
Narrating further, the National Chairman of the NDC, recounted a similar incident in 2008 regarding the election results during that time, Dr Afari Djan, a former Chairman of the EC, gathered representatives from all political parties, international observers, and other relevant stakeholders to conduct a thorough verification of the figures before officially announcing the election results.
The disappointment from the National Peace Council, the EC’s failure to operate above reproach by succumbing to the ruling NPP, Mr Asiedu Nketia pointed out, explains why the NDC as a party, has not yet congratulated Nana Akufo-Addo over the 2020 polls.
The NDC National Chairman, accused the ruling NPP of using the media to “hype” the narrative that the NDC representatives went to the EC office to “drink tea without biscuits” saying that; the truth is that the confusion started at former President Mahama’s office, where the National Peace Council representatives had come to intervene.
Mr Asiedu Nketia, also explained that when the NDC supporters from the Odododiodio Constituency learned that the party had been “let down” by the National Peace Council, they became furious and were sacked from former President Mahama’s office.
