By Nathaniel Nartey
Facebook: Nathaniel Nartey
Twitter: @Annertey_Nartey
The NDC says it has accepted the challenge of the Electoral Commission to provide evidence to the numerous allegations levelled against the Commission by former President John Mahama in the aftermath of the 2020 General Election. The Party said it is prepared to lodge a complaint with the Police to investigate the claims.
At a media briefing in Accra, General-Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia expressed grave concern about the posture of the EC, in its response to issues raised by NDC’s 2020 Presidential Candidate, John Mahama towards electoral reforms.
Mr. Asiedu Nketiah was of the view that the Deputy- Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Bossman Asare’s countenance when he addressed journalists in Accra on Monday, media briefing on Monday, made him more like an NPP foot-soldier.
Nathaniel Nartey reports that the NDC’S engagement with the media was to respond to a media briefing organised by the EC on Monday October 25, 2021 addressed by Deputy Chairman of the Commission Dr. Bossman Asare. Dr. Asare denied 5 allegations levelled against the EC by John Mahama.
Chief amongst them was the alleged thumb printing of one million extra ballot papers.
General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketiah says the posture of the EC as a propaganda tool for the NPP, is evident by how Dr. Bossman Asare misconstrued John Mahama’s allegations on the printing of one million extra ballot papers.
Mr. Asiedu Nketiah showed what he described as video evidence of the illegal printing of ballot papers as he spent more than half an hour addressing that issue alone. He cleared the air on what exactly John Mahama alleged on that issue.
”What we witnessed on Monday smacks of a typical NPP party foot soldier who was given a statement from the party Headquarters or Jubilee House to read to the Press. He(Dr Bossman Asare) claimed that Former President Mahama said the EC thump printed 1m ballot papers for the NPP. He never said that. What he said was that the NDC discovered an excess of 1m ballot papers printed on the blind side of his agents and that in the days leading to the election some individuals were arrested in possession of thump printed, genuine ballot papers which bore the EC validation stamp and we stand by that position……the NDC has no other choice but to accept the challenge by the Electoral Commission, that the Police will investigate the allegation of the printing of over 1m ballot papers. We are going a step further to lodge an official complaint and provide them with evidence in assistance to investigate the matter,” he said.
Unsurprisingly, the issue of printing one million extra ballot papers dominated Mr. Asideu Nketiah’s address. He alleged that the failure of the EC to provide timely statistics on the printing of ballot papers provided fertile grounds for extra one million ballot papers ro be printed for NPPs 2020 Presidential candidate.
”The refusal of the EC to supply parties with statistics timeously gave way for the printing of excess ballots that were widely distributed across the country particularly in the Ashanti region to compromise and rig the election,” he alleged.
Mr. Asideu Nketiah insists the NDC is ready to assist the Police in any investigations into the matter, and called on the IGP to intervene in what he described as more serious crimes than what some celebrities have been arrested for recently.