The 2024 Campaign team for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has accused the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) of serving as a conduit for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to manipulate the 2024 electoral process.
In reaction to the IEA’s recent announcement of presidential and vice-presidential debates involving the NPP and NDC, campaign spokesperson Joyce Bawah Mogtari criticized the institute for failing to consult with the NDC prior to making its decision.
Madam Mogtari emphasized that Ghana’s constitution does not grant the IEA the authority to organize activities related to elections.
“It is completely unacceptable that the IEA would make such an announcement without engaging or informing the National Democratic Congress, one of the major political parties in Ghana.
“The Constitution of Ghana does not grant the IEA any authority to organize elections-related activities. The fact that the IEA has not shown the decency or respect to at least inform the NDC of its plans raises serious questions about its motives.
“The IEA is clearly acting as a front for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and seeks to manipulate the electoral process in favor of the ruling party,” parts of the statement read.
The statement downplayed the importance of a presidential debate, noting the party’s extensive and continuous interactions with people across the nation.
Additionally, the team warned the IEA against exploiting the NDC’s name to advance its own agenda in a deceptive manner.
“It is important to remind the IEA and the Ghanaian public that the NDC, led by our presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama and running mate Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, has been engaging with the citizenry for many years. Mahama’s online and offline conversations have targeted a wide range of audiences and focused on addressing the needs and concerns of the people of Ghana.
“Our well-planned engagements with various sectors of society across the country have been and continue to be extremely beneficial to the people of Ghana. In this case, we caution the IEA against using the NDC’s name to promote their activities, as this is a blatant attempt to deliberately misrepresent our party,” the statement said.