Joe Ghartey, EC never rigged Essikado-Ketan parliamentary polls, NDC lied – NPP

Contrary to claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the Essikado-Ketan Constituency Parliamentary election was rigged in favor of veteran politician and lawyer, Hon. Ghartey, New Patriotic Party (NPP) insists the election was credible and transparent.

The EC’s certified results for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency showed that Hon. Ghartey polled 26,701 of valid votes cast. NDC’ Parliamentary candidate, Grace Ayensu-Danquah garnered 24,527 votes, while the Parliamentary Candidate for the Ghana Union Movement polled 629 votes.

Even before the EC could declare the results, NDC and its Parliamentary Candidate for Essikado-Ketan Constituency, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, went haywire with spurious and baseless allegations of alleged massive fraud said to have been perpetuated by the NPP. They had also taken to social media to declare themselves winner of the Parliamentary race in Essikado-Ketan Constituency.

But it has emerged that the results as declared by the EC for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency were the true reflection of the will of the people, despite spirited efforts by the opposition NDC to discredit the results.

A statement issued by the Essikado-Ketan Constituency New Patriotic Party (NPP) has set the records straight, revealing in detail the violent and diabolic agenda spearheaded by the NDC prior to the declaration of the results.

The NDC has since the December 7, 2020 polls’ results declaration threatened to initiate a legal action, seeking to overturn the victory of Hon. Ghartey.

But in the statement dated Saturday, December 12, 2020 and signed by its Secretary, Thomas Amoah, the Essikado-Ketan Constituency NPP branch, gave an account of what happened on Election Day.

According to the statement, “We had received unconfirmed reports that the NDC was seeking to rig the elections so we of the NPP were very alert on the day of the election.”

The statement added that “Voting ended at 5pm with no serious incident being reported by our polling agents at the various polling stations. Counting was done at each polling station in the full view of the public and the result at every polling station was declared at each polling station. After this, the necessary documentation, the pink sheet, was duly filled and signed by all the parties present.”

“Our representatives went to the Collation Centre of the Essikado Ketan Constituency which is at the Methodist Church, Brigade Hall, Essikado. The Electoral Commission Officials started receiving the ballot boxes and electoral materials from their officials who were coming in from the various polling stations,” it said.

“At the time NDC supporters led by their candidate Grace Ayensu Danquah and other party members including former Minister for National Security rushed to the Collation Centre claiming the NDC had won the parliamentary election. At the time we had not even collated the Presidential vote. Their members who were carrying knifes and other implements started throwing stones into the Collation Center. There was absolutely no basis for this commotion,” according to the statement.

It added that “Neither was there any basis for the claim that NDC had won the Parliamentary election when the results from the various polling stations had not been officially collated and announced by the Returning Officer. Around 11 pm Grace Ayensu and her team left the Collation Centre having been repelled by the police and military when they sought to take over the Collation Centre.”

“Collation of the Presidential results started and ended around 9.50 am. This was won by Nana Akufo-Addo. The collation of the Parliamentary results commenced around 10 am,” according to the statement.

“Three members of the NDC were present. This included one Alidiu who presented himself as the NDC youth organizer and a lawyer who said he was representing the NDC Parliamentary Candidate. During the collation the representatives of NDC raised issues once in a while and it was only after the issues they raised were resolved that the EC continued the process.”

At the end of the process, the statement noted, the Returning Officer announced the votes of the Three Candidates who stood for Parliamentary election in Essikado Ketan Constituency and declared our candidate, Joe Ghartey, the winner.

”We challenge the NDC to prove the allegations of fraud at the appropriate quarters.”

Below is the statement

STATEMENT BY ESSIKADO KETAN NPP ON 2020 ELECTIONS

Our attention has been drawn to spurious and baseless allegations of alleged massive fraud by the NPP in the recent Parliamentary Elections.

We had received unconfirmed reports that the NDC was seeking to rig the elections so we of the NPP were very alert on the day of the election.

Voting ended at 5pm with no serious incident being reported by our polling agents at the various polling stations. Counting was done at each polling station in the full view of the public and the result at every polling station was declared at each polling station. After this, the necessary documentation, the pink sheet, was duly filled and signed by all the parties present.

Our representatives went to the Collation Centre of the Essikado Ketan Constituency which is at the Methodist Church, Brigade Hall, Essikado. The Electoral Commission Officials started receiving the ballot boxes and electoral materials from their officials who were coming in from the various polling stations.

At the time NDC supporters led by their candidate Grace Ayensu Danquah and other party members including former Minister for National Security rushed to the Collation Centre claiming the NDC had won the parliamentary election. At the time we had not even collated the Presidential vote. Their members who were carrying knifes and other implements started throwing stones into the Collation Center. There was absolutely no basis for this commotion. Neither was there any basis for the claim that NDC had won the Parliamentary election when the results from the various polling stations had not been officially collated and announced by the Returning Officer. Around 11 pm Grace Ayensu and her team left the Collation Centre having been repelled by the police and military when they sought to take over the Collation Centre.

Collation of the Presidential results started and ended around 9.50 am. This was won by Nana Akufo-Addo. The collation of the Parliamentary results commenced around 10 am.

Three members of the NDC were present. This included one Alidiu who presented himself as the NDC youth organizer and a lawyer who said he was representing the NDC Parliamentary Candidate. During the collation the representatives of NDC raised issues once in a while and it was only after the issues they raised were resolved that the EC continued the process.

At the end of the process, the Returning Officer announced the votes of the Three Candidates who stood for Parliamentary election in Essikado Ketan Constituency and declared our candidate, Joe Ghartey, the winner. We challenge the NDC to prove the allegations of fraud at the appropriate quarters.

Signed

Thomas Amoah

Constituency Secretary