Blows at EC as man outwits Odike to pick up presidential forms

Confusion broke out at the Electoral Commission headquarters in Accra Tuesday when a man attempted to pick up presidential nomination forms for the United Progressive Party without consent from the party’s flag-bearer, Akwasi Addai Odike.

Gabriel Asamoah Boakye, who claimed to be the General Secretary of the party, stormed the EC office with two other persons to collect the presidential nomination forms for the party but officials of the EC declined to release the forms to them.

Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Samuel Tetteh, asked them to wait considering the fact that there have been internal wrangling within the party lately.

Moments later, Mr Odike arrived at the Commission together with one Francis Addai, who he said is the legitimate General Secretary of the party; something that sparked trading of verbal attacks leading to fisticuffs.

It took more than 20 minutes for Police officers on duty at the Commission at the time intervene to restore law and order.

The man was eventually arrested and taken out of the EC headquarters.

The nomination forms were later handed to the party’s flagbearer, Mr Odike.

The EC’s Director of Electoral Services justified his decision to give the forms to Mr Odike as against the other man who claimed to be the General Secretary.

He said it is Odike that the Commission recognises.