The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has debunked claims by Tony Lithur, counsel for President Mahama in the on-going election petition that their campaign manager, Boakye Agyarko, declared the 2012 election as the most transparent.
Mr Tony Lithur, on Tuesday during his cross examination of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, claimed the campaign manager for Nana Akufo Addo, NPP’s flagbearer in the 2012 general elections, attested to the flawless nature of the elections; describing it as transparent.
Mr Agyarko in an interview with the New Crusading Guide newspaper, however, categorically denied making any statement in line with Mr Lithur’s claims.
He expressed disappointment in the fact that Tony Lithur, a lawyer, could paraphrase his statement and file it in his affidavit.
Speaking in an interview on Citi Eye witness news, Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea affirmed that he was with Mr Agyarko when he issued the statement, adding, ‘he never said anything like that at all’.
“I was with Boakye Agyarko when he made the statement and so when I heard it being said at the court that he has pronounced the election as the most transparent since 1992, I was surprised…nowhere in that statement did Boakye Agyarko say that the 2012 election had been the most transparent and the fairest election,” he indicated.
According to him, every party at the time including the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were talking to their supporters assuring them of victory and “Boakye Agyarko said so, assuring the supporters to remain firm and that they should continue to be vigilant and that victory was at hand…Those were normal commentary made by all the parties”.
He pointed to the fact that Mr Agyarko was rather reacting to a call by President Mahama that in places that the machines had broken down, people should be allowed to by-pass the machine and vote.
“Boakye Agyarko responded to that saying that was not going to make the election free and fair…he never in the statement he issued describe the election as the most transparent, freest, fairest as Tony Lithur said in the court. The statement he (Tony Lithur) made in the court attributing it to Baokye Agyarko was never made by him (Boakye Agyarko)” he added.