‘It was a caution’ – PNC’s Mornah says as CID chases him over EC threat

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The chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has been invited by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service for questioning.

Mr Mornah is being invited by the CID after he allegedly made some comments against officials of the country’s Electoral Commission in relation to the yet-to-be compiled voter register.

“People who are already Ghanaians are already registered are going to be taken out of the voter’s register, don’t think confusion will come at the registration station and if confusion comes there, you think the EC staff will be safe, we will beat each other there and, we will kill each other there if that is what the EC wants to lead this nation to,” parts of the CID invitation letter quoted Mr. Mornah as saying.

Mr Mornah, who doubles as chairman of the Inter Party Resistance Against the New Voter Register (IPRAN), made the comments during a press conference held by the group.

He is expected to report at the CID headquarters on June 2, 2020.

Mornah reacts

Reacting to the development, Mr Bernard Mornah told Accra-based Citi FM that he will honour the invitation. He, however, explained that his comments were without malice.

“I have said that if the Electoral Commission is intending to lead us through this dangerous path, they should know that there will be confusion… It is a caution. If caution becomes threats, I will not run away from it,” he stated.

“A caution cannot represent a threat but if they take it as a threat then, I may have to bring my English teacher to tell them that cautions are not threats,” he added.

He further emphasized his view that the Electoral Commission’s posturing concerning the compilation of the new voters’ register must not be condoned.

He said the EC’s decision must be “resisted”.

“The EC is slitting our democracy and we must do everything to resist it and we will resist it.”

“There is nothing that will allow you to sit down and allow this EC to slit our democracy away from the peace and stability that we have enjoyed so when we are telling them and alerting them that their actions can lead us unto a perilous path and you say we are threatening, I don’t know. I will visit the CID,” he noted.

Boakye-Djan charged; Obiri Boahen faces CID

A similar invitation was extended to National Democratic Congress stalwart Maj. (Rtd) Boakye-Djan and the Deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Obiri Boahen.

The two are facing the CID for making similar pronouncements on Accra-based Okay FM. They have both honoured the invitation.

Voter Register Controversy

An attempt by the EC to compile a new voter register has been met with fierce opposition.

Led by the National Democratic Congress, the Inter Party Resistance Against the New Voter Register (IPRAN), said the decision by the Commission is needless.

Other Civil Society Organizations are on the same page with the group. Despite the resistance, the EC announced earlier this week that it will start the registration exercise in June.

About 33,000 registration centers have been earmarked for the exercise.

By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH