Akomadan (Ash), May 16, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) sub-committee set up to probe the Party's parliamentary loss in the Offinso North in December 2004 has recommended sanctions against one of its activists for signing the final results, ceding victory to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The committee said the conduct of Mr Kwaku Duodu gave cause for suspicion because he was neither the accredited representative of the NDC candidate at the collation centre nor authorised by the Party. The Committee, chaired by Mr Seidu Issifu, said what it found baffling why Mr Duodu chose to sign the declaration form at an obscure place away from the collation centre.
"Again the fact that he initially denied having signed the form when he knew that was not true, raises a number of questions", the committee stated in its report to the party's constituency leadership at a meeting at Akomadan on Sunday.
It said it was inclined to believe that Mr Duodu was part of the conspiracy to rob the NDC of the parliamentary seat. The Committee also criticised the conduct of the Returning Officer and wondered why he decided to follow the Mr Duodu to his house to get him to sign the form when he was very much aware that he was not mandated to do that.
It said it was also convinced that upon a proper recount of the ballots cast in the election, the NDC's parliamentary candidate would have won the seat by a vote margin of 392. The committee therefore called on the NDC leadership to vigorously pursue the matter in Court for a vote-recount in order to ensure fairness in the election.
Other members of the Committee were Mr Ahmed Adjei-Mensah, Mr Nelson Gyasi, Mr Charles Kotuah and Mr J.K. Asare. In its declaration, the Electoral Commission named the NPP's Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku as winner of the seat with 13,389 votes. Mr Kwadwo Appiah Kubi, the NDC Candidate, received 12,999 votes whilst the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) candidate, Mr Samuel Asare, had 221 votes. 16 May 05
