Welcome aboard bumpy political train – Koku Anyidoho to IEA’s Jean Mensa

The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Koku Anyidoho has hinted of the party’s opposition to the nomination of Mrs Jean Mensa and Dr Eric Bossman Asare as chairperson and deputy chair of the Electoral Commission (EC).

According to the opposition NDC, the two, Jean Mensa and Eric Bossman Asare have links to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and that their nomination for consideration for appointment, were part of NPP’s moves to influence the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections in their favour.

They described Jean Mensa as a pro-NPP favourite who does not like the NDC.

Related: Jean Mensa is unfit to occupy high position of EC chairperson - NDC

Speaking in a radio interview in reaction to the announcement of the nomination on Monday, Mr Anyidoho said even though the NDC may not be able to influence the Council of State from approving the nominations, they [NDC] will make sure they engage the public through the media.

Besides that, they will ensure that their [Jean and Bossman Asare's] leadership at the helm of affairs at the Electoral Commission will not be that smooth.

Asked whether Jean Mensa was not competent for the position of chairperson of the EC, Mr Anyidoho responded, “I am not talking about competence… that one when she starts, we will see.”

Rather, he said the problem was with her political coloration and insisted that as for Dr Eric Bossman Asare, he had already publicly declared his links to the NPP and therefore making his nomination biased.

“When you have a deputy like Dr Bossman Asare, as for him, his socks is NPP, his underpants is NPP, his singlet, NPP, toothbrush NPP, his hankerchief NPP, his toothpaste NPP, his bedsheet NPP, his bathing sponge, NPP, that even makes matters worse for Jean Mensa too, because Dr Asare doesn’t hide his NPP coloration,” Mr Anyidoho stated in the radio interview with Accra based Asempa FM.

Read also: Akufo-Addo nominates IEA boss Jean Mensa as new EC chair

He maintained that Dr Asare was a professor in his own right, but “I am saying the man himself does not hide the fact that he is NPP."

Asked how he got to know about his coloration, Mr Anyidoho insisted Dr Asare admitted in a radio interview, “he lectures students and he doesn’t hide his NPP coloration from his students. I’m not saying it is a crime to be NPP, let's get it right, same as it is not a crime to be NDC, it is not a crime to be NPP, so if Professsor Asare is NPP, wonderful, but I’m saying that when you carry that colour in the office as head of the EC, then we begin to question the appointing authority, that Mr President, why have you so politicised the Electoral Commission of the Republic of Ghana?"

“Even if Akufo-Addo appoints Gabby Asare Otchere Darko as the EC boss, appoint Asante Bediatuo as the number one deputy, and appoint Ursula Owusu as the number two deputy, the NDC is still going to win the 2020 elections.”

“It is not because any EC person is going to rig the election for anybody oh!, Why, the way Ghana elections is conducted, …even Charlotte Osei when they were calling her names and insulting her and destroying her female persona…, was she able to rig the elections for the NDC, assuming she possibly was going to [do that in favour of the NDC]?

He said counting of Ghana’s election results is done in the open, results are declared in the open and therefore no EC person can change results.

“We are not saying they are bringing anybody to come and rig elections, but all we are saying is that, you have done some kind of appointment that puts a lot of question marks on the people you are putting there."

On Adwoa Esuama Abrefa who is being considered for appointment as a Member of the Commission, Mr Anyidoho said they have little information on her but said with Samuel Tettey, he is coming from the ranks of the commission and rising up and therefore he will not have much to say about him.

Asked about what the NDC was going to do about the nominations, Mr Anyidoho said they cannot influence the Council of State's approval. “We can speak to the issues, let Ghanaians open their minds to the issues... Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, but I’m saying hey Jean [Mensa], welcome aboard the political train, you gonna enjoy it.”

“I hope she enjoys the ride because it's going to be bumpy. It's going to be very, very bumpy, especially when your classmate Koku Anyidoho is concerned, its going to be bumpy especially at IPAC meetings.”

“Ordinarily, the circumstances under which, she is coming, draped in political colours, at IPAC meetings I’m also going to be in my NDC colours, too bad for her. When we meet outside IPAC meetings, we can be friends, but at IPAC meetings I’ll be representing the National Democratic Congress and no compromises.”

He insisted that after the burial of former Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, “we are going to engage and engage frontally…, we are going to begin the engagement process and nothing is going to stop us.”

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh 

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