The NDC National Communication Officer, Sammy Gyamfi has said President Akufo-Addo can cancel the December 17 referendum for fear of defeat, but you cannot cancel the impending defeat that awaits you on December 7th 2020.
Mr. Gyamfi in a statement sighted by Awake News indicated that the President’s suspension of the December 17 referendum is a fear of defeat.
According to him, the fact that the President has cited NDC’s decision to Vote No shows that the NDC and all “No Vote” advocates have won and it is a “collective nationalistic decision to put Ghana first”.
He has questioned the logic behind the President’s decision to cancel the entire exercise since according to him [the President] his conviction was that “YES” votes would have secured a 75% of the valid votes cast.
“…Why the cancellation of the referendum on grounds of lack of national consensus… Why waste the public purse like this… What national consensus does the president need again if he indeed has the support of 75% of voters?” he quizzed.
The President in his shot address on Sunday evening, called off the holding of the Referendum of 17th December, 2019, citing the lack of a broad, national consensus amongst key stakeholders and the populace.
President Akufo-Addo said he has instructed the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama, MP, who is spearheading the process, on behalf of the government, to abort the process, and see to the withdrawal of the bills for the amendment of the Constitution, both in respect of article 243(1) and Article 55(3).
The President also cited the opposition NDC decision to campaign NO despite their earlier stands to go for the amendment of article 55(3).
In the said address to the nation, the President indicated that the attainment of a broad consensus, for him, on a matter as important as the amendment of an entrenched provision of the Constitution, is critical.
“I do not believe that such an amendment should be driven as a party matter. There has to be a clear national consensus and agreement amongst the populace that a particular entrenched provision no longer serves the interest of the people, and, thus, has to be removed,” he said.
Below is Sammy Gyamfi’s full statement
At long last, President Akufo-Addo has chickened out of the December 17 referendum for fear of defeat.
This is a clear victory for the NDC and all “No Vote” advocates. Our collective nationalistic decision to put Ghana first has paid off.
And, did I hear the President say that he believes YES would have won if the referendum had come off? If that is so and the President sincerely believes that YES would have garnered the required 75% of the valid vote cast, then why the cancellation of the referendum on grounds of lack of national consensus? Why waste the Public purse like this? What national consensus does the President need again if he indeed has the support of 75% of voters?
For the records, it’s a barefaced lie that President Mahama agreed to the amendment of article 55(3) of the 1992 Constitution to allow for the introduction of partisanship in our local government system as alleged by President Akufo-Addo. The attempt to use JM as a cover for this national embarrassment will not wash.
By the way, since when did President Akufo-Addo start to listen to any constructive suggestions from the NDC? Quite clearly, after wasting the public purse on this needless venture, the President ought to be giving us better accountability than these desperate blame games.
Mr President, you can cancel the December 17 referendum for fear of defeat, but you cannot cancel the impending defeat that awaits you on December 7th 2020.
Sammy Gyamfi
By: Efo Korsi Senyo / awakenewsroom.com