As the National Democratic Congress (NDC) holds protests around the country today against the Electoral Commission’s (EC) handling of inconsistencies in the voter registration, party flagbearer John Mahama has issued an appeal for calm and harmony.
Speaking prior to the protest, former President Mahama urged attendees to abstain from any acts of violence and declared that the occasion would be peaceful.
“This is a peaceful demonstration. It is not a violent demonstration. It is a peaceful demonstration. And so if you know you cannot be peaceful, don’t come.
“We want only the people of peace to join us,” the NDC flagbearer said, underscoring the party’s commitment to ensuring order throughout the protest.
The main source of the NDC’s complaints is what it claims to be a considerable number of anomalies in the voter registration that were discovered during a recent voter exhibition drive.
The EC has declined to carry out a forensic examination of the register, despite their demands for one.
In response, the NDC is taking to the streets, with protesters marching to regional EC offices in all 16 regional capitals, while national executives will deliver petitions at both the EC headquarters and Parliament in Accra.
As part of his address, Mr Mahama urged demonstrators to respect the police and avoid confrontation, stating, “The police will be there to protect us; the police are our friends. They have not done anything to us, so don’t let anybody go attacking the police on a peaceful demonstration.”
Reiterating the peaceful nature of the demonstration, he went on to say that after the petitions are handed, attendees should peacefully return home.
The NDC is hoping that their concerns would be taken into consideration in light of Mr Mahama’s remarks, which are in line with their larger campaign for electoral reforms ahead of the next elections.
The NDC is taking a stand for what they see as the integrity of the electoral process, and thousands of supporters are anticipated to join the protest nationwide.
Source: Adomonline