The National Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B), has exposed an alleged scheme by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to implicate the NPP in the controversy surrounding missing Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits and Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs).
Nana B, citing credible sources, claims the NDC plans to plant some of the missing devices, which they allegedly possess, at various NPP offices across the country.
He asserts that the opposition party intends to invite selected media houses to these locations to capture footage of the missing devices purportedly found in NPP offices.
Nana B further disclosed that some NDC members had prior knowledge of the BVR kit theft and planned to steal components from 25 other BVRs. These components could be reassembled for voter registration.
The controversy began in April when the Electoral Commission (EC) handed over individuals suspected of stealing five laptops, part of the BVR kits, to the police. This followed allegations by the NDC about the missing kits.
The NDC Minority in Parliament first announced the missing kits on March 19, 2024, calling for urgent police action and expressing concerns about the upcoming December election.
On March 20, 2024, the EC clarified that it was five laptops, not the Biometric Verification Devices, that were stolen.
Despite this clarification, the NDC called on the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to investigate the unaccounted-for BVR components to ensure fair December polls.
NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah claimed the stolen BVR kits could be used to illegally register voters for the December 7 general elections.
However, the EC assured Ghanaians that the missing laptops alone could not be used for voter registration or verification.
Nana B asserts that the NDC’s insistence on the stolen kits being used to tamper with elections is part of a scheme to hide the kits in NPP offices and accuse the EC of colluding with the governing party to rig the elections.
He likened this strategy to a 2008 incident in the Akwatia Constituency where NDC members allegedly planted stolen ballot boxes at an NPP executive’s house and then called for his arrest.
Given this situation, Nana B urges all NPP Constituency Executives, Regional Executives, and party stakeholders to remain vigilant around party offices to prevent potential intrusions by the NDC.
These unfolding events highlight the heightened tensions and accusations between the two major political parties as the December elections approach.