MP Challenges Results

Joe Danquah The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Tain constituency, Joe Danquah is calling for the cancellation of the result of the recent parliamentary election in the area to make way for fresh elections.

Addressing newsmen at a press conference in Sunyani, Mr Danquah, who is also the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Tain, called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to nullify the results and conduct fresh elections that would be free and fair, saying that would bring peace to the area since the current security situation in the area was delicate.

Mr. Danquah is accusing the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Hajia Bintu Ibrahim Farazana and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of bringing macho men to the area during the December 7 elections to intimidate the electorate to vote against him, hence his defeat.

He indicated that 15 macho men had been arrested but “the harm had already been done before their arrest”.

The MP alleged also that a parliamentary ballot box for 'Ohia Mpe anika' was diverted to Kwabena Boffourkrom where the NDC thumb-printed several ballot papers into the box before bringing it back to the original polling station. 

According to him, the stealing of the ballot box was done in the presence of a security officer, NDC agents and the Presiding Officer at the polling station.

He said he and his party executives in the constituency went to Kwabena Boffourkrom and caught the people red-handed under a mango tree.

He said he later reported the incident to the Returning Officer, Dacosta Frimpong and the Tain District Police but they all failed to take action on the matter.

The MP disclosed that some of his supporters went to the District Electoral Office at Nsawkaw to threaten the secretary there for supposedly keying forged results into the computer after the elections.

Joe Danquah said the secretary told his supporters that it was the Acting District Electoral Officer, one Mr. Antoh, who instructed her to do so.

The MP said he reported back to the police and Mr. Antoh was subsequently picked up by the police.  

As regards the DCE, Joe Danquah alleged that she ordered the macho men to go to his (Danquah's) house at Sabia and beat up his mother and other relatives.

He also accused the DCE of coming to Manje with some voter transfer list asking the Presiding Officer to allow the people to vote, but his agents there resisted.

According to him, the DCE went to another polling station with the list, claiming that the transfer voters might have had the chance to vote there.

He therefore gave the EC a 48-hour ultimatum to cancel the results, else he and his men would not accept the results.

Meanwhile, the Relief Regional Director of EC, Mr. Ntow said the EC had already declared the result in favour of the NDC, because all political parties who contested the elections had accepted the results and signed.

He said there was nothing the EC could do about the results since they were certified. From Simmons Yussif Kewura, Sunyani