Nana Akomea
The Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea has described as hypocritical attempts by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to blame their [NPP] polling agents for the party’s defeat in the 2012 general elections.
He said the NDC then in opposition in 2004, went to court to demand a re-collation of the election results even after its polling agents had signed to certify the landslide victory of former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
The final results released by the Electoral Commission (EC) in 2004 gave then President Kufuor 52.4 percent of the total votes cast as against then Professor John Evans Atta Mills 44.6 per cent.
The two other presidential candidates, Dr Edward Mahama of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) and the Convention Peoples Party’s (CPP)George Aggudey polled 1.9% and 0.99 per cent of the total votes cast.
But the NDC challenged the results in court because of what it perceived to be widespread irregularities in the conduct of the polls and the declaration of results.
Now, the tables have turned and the NPP is also challenging presidential election results in court citing the same irregularities it claimed affected the outcome of the elections.
But counsel for the NDC and the President John Mahama who are respondents in the Election Petition filed by the NPP have blamed the opposition party’s polling agents for not being vigilant during voting and counting of the ballots.
However, speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday, Nana Akomea maintained that their polling agents cannot be blamed because they were mere observers.
He stated that even if their polling agents had decided not to sign the pink sheets in the face of the irregularities, it would not have nullified the results.
Nana Akomea was of the opinion that the blame-game is part of the NDC’s vile propaganda to discredit their evidence in court.
The NPP’s Communications Director said the fact that their polling agents signed the pink sheets does not mean all the irregularities were legal.
Nana Akomea urged the NDC to adopt another strategy to face the NPP in court.
In a rebuttal, NDC Greater Regional Chairman, Ade Coker was baffled at what he says is the new definition of a polling agent by the NPP.
He posited that the NPP is now shifting the goal post because “they know their argument does not hold water”.
The NDC chairman scoffed at the NPP’s attempt to rewrite the electoral laws used in the 2012 election.
“Wonders shall never end; now NPP polling agents are like international observers like CODEO? he quizzed”.
He wondered why the NPP polling agents did not fill any protest form in the areas their party is alleging the irregularities.
Ade Coker said the NPP should just accept that they are bad losers and allow government to focus on delivering the Better Ghana Agenda.