The campaign team of the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama has thrown accusations at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), saying the latter appears to be conspiring with the ruling party over arrangements for a presidential debate ahead of the December polls.
The IEA said on Wednesday that it had completed engagements and was ready to host presidential and vice presidential debates before December, although specific timelines have not yet been announced.
IEA to Host Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates Ahead of the 2024 General Elections. #GhanaDecides2024#DebateForChange#LeadershipMatters pic.twitter.com/5KQqpI8Mk6
— IEA Ghana (@IEAGhana) July 17, 2024
But in a statement on Friday, Mahama’s team said they had not been informed about the planned debate and further said the actions of the IEA were unacceptable.
“The Constitution of Ghana does not grant the IEA any authority to organize election-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 and seeks to manipulate the electoral process in favor of the ruling party,” the statement said.
Read Also: IEA Pushes for Presidential Debate Despite NDC’s Resistance
While it appears that there’s been deadlock with the IEA initiative for now, the NDC has responded to a similar request from the IMANI Center for Policy and Education, although it’s not entirely certain Mahama would agree to it yet.
