Tony Aidoo: I Don�t Need IEA Report To Know NPP Abused Incumbency In 2008

The Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Presidency, Dr. Tony Aidoo says he does not need an Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) report to know that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) abused incumbency during the 2008 general elections. According to Dr. Aidoo, it is glaring that the NPP abused incumbency during the 2008 elections to the extent that state helicopters were used to monitor election results in some parts of the Ashanti region. Dr. Tony Aidoo alleged that during the second round of the 2008 elections, the then Defence Minister Albert Kan Dapaah and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey used a helicopter of the Ghana Armed Forces and flew to Kumasi to check on election results of six (6) constituencies in the Ashanti region. He made this assessment after a so-called IEA report accused the NPP of abusing incumbency in the 2008 general elections. Dr. Tony Aidoo said these on Adom FM on Tuesday. The Ghana New Agency (GNA) on August 14, 2011 published a report purported to be from the IEA website chiding the NPP for abuse of incumbency in the run up to the 2008 general elections. According to the supposed report, the NPP�s campaign was very flamboyant than that of the then opposition party, National Democratic Congress which engaged in a-door-to door-to campaign. It also stated that, the NPP used state resources to distribute party paraphernalia of its presidential candidate, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo across the country to the disadvantage of the opposition NDC. But the IEA in a statement issued on Monday dismissed the report indicating that no such report had been prepared and released by them. However, Dr. Tony Aidoo accused the NPP for abusing incumbency by using state vehicles for their campaign with even Alan Kyeremateng using state vehicles to the extent of smashing the vehicle, but did not pay for the damage to the car. He however admitted that �taking advantage of incumbency happens everywhere in our part of the world, because there are not enough funds for political parties�. On a sharp rebuttal, the Member of Parliament for Assin North in the Central region, Kennedy Agyapong described the development as a diversionary tactics by the ruling NDC, aimed at shifting attention from the issue of the under performance of the Atta Mills-led government. He alleged that a leading member of the NDC told him they will use all resources at their disposal to ensure that they win power in 2012 elections. Kennedy Agyapong dismissed claims that the NPP abused incumbency during the 2008 general elections.