The Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has dared former President John Dramani Mahama to provide evidence of voter suppression and intimidation by the military in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
“If the former President has any evidence, he should bring that evidence and the Ministry of Defence will act. We are calling on him to provide evidence of the allegations he is making, we want evidence of that allegation.
“For him to use Banda as the example of what he calls voter suppression means that his briefing was wrong, his intelligence is suspect, and he is being misled,” Mr. Nitiwul told journalists at a media briefing Monday.
The former President and 2020 flagbearer of the opposition NDC in a social media post cited happenings in the Volta Region and Banda constituency in the Bono Region where the military has reportedly prevented persons believed to be sympathisers of the NDC from taking part in the voter registration exercise.
But the Defence Minister has rubbished the allegation,s arguing the government has no intention to intimidate and disenfranchise eligible voters.
“Let me put it on record that government did not plan, government has no intention, the government will not plan, and will never have an intention of suppressing any potential voter who is a Ghanaian and who is qualified, who is of sound mind and above 18 years to register.”
The minister accused the former president and the NDC of deliberate attempts to run down the military.
“I think that for him (John Dramani Mahama) and his party, to continuously try to run down the military is very unfortunate. It is in their interest not to try to run down the only institution that will be the last man standing to protect us.”
He added, “he was just the Commander-In-Chief four years ago and I am very much worried that he is taking a deliberate step to run down the military of Ghana”.
