Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader
Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Caucus in Parliament on Tuesday staged a protest march to the Electoral Commission, demanding that the EC re-collated the Techiman South Constituency presidential and the results of the parliamentary elections with immediate effect.
Gun-wielding policemen stopped the black and red attire wearing MPs, with red armbands initially at the Ridge Roundabout, but the protesters managed to cross the barricade while they were being pushed by the police.
The request of their petition among other things is for the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission to cause to be properly collated the 2020 Techiman South Constituency election results without further intended actions on the Presidential and other disputed constituency results.
However, things turned chaotic when the MPs in an attempt to present the petition to the EC’s Headquarters were met by the Police who had to barricade the road leading to the EC’s office.
The Minority MPs were also stopped at the entrance to the EC’s office by the police whiles others pushed to the ground by the security personnel.
Some of the MPs described the situation as unfortunate saying they were only there to present a petition to the EC and that their march was not a demonstration but a peaceful walk to the EC’s office.
The police denied them entry for the reason that, "here is a security zone” resulting in a stand-off between the Police and the protesters.
An angry Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, who led his colleagues to March from Parliament House to the EC Headquarters to demonstrate said, "this petition is without prejudice to further action we are determined to carry out in respect of the multiple Presidential Declarations and other constituencies in dispute.
“We demand that you cause to be collated the Techiman South Constituency Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Results from all the Two Hundred and Sixty-Six (266) Polling stations in accordance with the law, with immediate effect," the petition signed Mr Iddrisu, and addressed to the EC boss, Dr Jean Mensa said.
Mr Iddrisu said there was an absolute lack of transparency in the collation process of results in Techiman South.
“The results of the elections have been changed six times by an embarrassing Chairperson, so next time she comes to do her correction, we will not accept it.
“We are asking that the Techiman South results are collated openly in the full glare of the public,” the Tamale South MP added.
He stated that, in pursuant to regulation 43 (2) of C. l. 127, "the endorsed writ, gazette notification and notice to Clerk of Parliament be amended accordingly to reflect the true state of affairs.”
The NDC accused the officials, particularly the Returning Officer of the EC who declared the NPP Parliamentary candidate as a winner of the polls without recourse to lay down procedures, including collation.
The petition re-echoed the Minority’s position that it is "fully aligned with the contention of John Dramani Mahama and the National Executive Committee of the NDC that the results of the presidential elections stand rejected."
Mr Iddrisu, talking to journalists said they had earlier notified the EC Chair and the police to submit the petition, but the standoff prevented them from submitting the petition.
“Since the EC does not respect us as Minority, to receive our petition here, we’ll also boycott them if they appear before Parliament. We’ll boycott the EC coming forward in Parliament. We will boycott her and her Commission. We will not be heard, she will never be heard by us,” Mr Iddrisu said.
Mr ABA Fuseini, Mr Mahama Ayariga, Mr Mutawakilu Adam and Laadi Ayii Ayamba, were some of the MPs who took part in the march.
Members of the opposition NDC are embarking on a series of demonstrations nationwide in protest over the 2020 general election results, which John Dramani Mahama, the NDC presidential candidate has described as fictional and flawed.
After their failed attempt, Mr Idrissu demanded that one of the police officers received the petition on behalf of the EC.
The Minority MPs have also threatened to boycott the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo for a second term, if a re-collation of the parliamentary results in Techiman South is not done.
The NDC party is further alleging that the governing NPP has wrongly been declared winner of some parliamentary seats it won.
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