The General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress Johnson Asiedu Nketia has said the claim by the New Patriotic Party that the NDC has been stealing their manifesto ideas is baseless and unpatriotic.

In his view, the NPP must be excited and content that the development of the nation is being modeled after their ideas and plans if indeed the NDC has been copying their ideas.

The NDC and NPP are caught in a manifesto standoff following claims by the opposition party that their ideas are often stolen by the ruling party, citing the free secondary school education as an example.

Speaking to Kasapa FM Monday, Mr. Asiedu Nketia said the NPP should not be worried if the real intentions behind the manifesto is to serve the Ghanaian people.

“If indeed there was any truth in their claim, then they should be happy. Because that means that the nation is being developed around their ideas and that should excite them.

“If their plan was come and implement those ideas and someone has taken them and executing them, that should serve their objective and purpose; so there shouldn’t be any issue at all. But the truth is, that claim is baseless.

“We in the NDC have great ideas and we don’t mind if anybody stole them. We will still launch ours and everyone will see them” he said.

Meanwhile, President John Mahama has said the NDC will go ahead and launch their manifest and other parties “ are free to copy”.