NPP: Only 1% of polling stations vote today

Mr Boakye Agyarko, the Campaign Manager of Nana Akufo-Addo's campaign for President, today predicted with confidence a solid first round victory for the NPP presidential candidate.

With only a fraction of votes in less than one per cent of polling stations yet to be cast, due to faulty biometric verification machines on December 7, the President of the Republic and the ruling National Democratic Congress are clutching at straws and creating the impression as if the remaining votes, when cast, can overturn the obvious defeat that the ruling party has suffered in this election.


Mr Boakye Agyarko said the NDC should not use the problem which affected a relatively tiny number of polling centres as an excuse for their bad showing in Friday’s presidential and parliamentary polls. For example, voting will take place Saturday in 73 polling stations in Greater Accra, 25 in the Central Region and only 2 in the Volta Region.


“This cannot be said to amount to a disaster, especially, when there is an opportunity to redress this matter today,” he said.


“We are happy that the EC, in accordance with the law, will allow voters who missed out Friday, as a result of faulty equipment, to exercise their franchise today, Saturday, December 8. We are, therefore, calling on all our supporters to come out once again in their numbers and vote.”


But, the NPP Campaign Manager could not hide his party’s disappointment with attempts by the NDC to discredit the elections. “We do not think it is proper for the NDC to seek to use this relatively marginal percentage of total votes left to be cast to say that the 2012 general elections have been marred, as the NDC has sought to do,” he said.


The President, on Friday, called for people to be allowed to vote without biometric verification, contrary to the law. This has been condemned by the NPP as “irresponsible and unnecessary.”

Mr Boakye Agyarko has urged the President and NDC Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama, to stop making unlawful pronouncements on the electoral process and display good sportsmanship in allowing the rest of the voters, who were unable to cast their votes on December 7 to proceed on Saturday to exercise their franchise, in a transparent and lawful manner, according to the biometric process.


The NPP Campaign Manager has described the call by the President of the Republic, Friday, that voters must proceed to vote without subjecting their identity to biometric verification, as "dangerous and irresponsible," adding, "it is the last shrill of a government which knows it has lost but is desperately seeking for any illegitimate opening to overturn the people's mandate."


"We are calling on the EC to stick strictly to the law, which gives voters in all polling stations where voting was suspended yesterday an opportunity to cast their ballots today, using biometric verification so that a legitimate and clear victory for Nana Akufo-Addo can be declared as quickly as possible once all votes are cast, and a transition process from Mr Mahama's caretaker Presidency can begin."


"Based on all the data being received, Nana Akufo-Addo is on course to win a 1st round victory with an incontestable margin. NPP parliamentary candidates are winning seats that we had never won before. This, which is happening across the country, is a clear indication of an NPP victory, which will produce a parliamentary majority, as well, and the general performance of our parliamentary candidate is exceeding expectations. We have challengers who have upset sitting MPs and Ministers, which shows that Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP's vision of change and transforming Ghana has resonated with voters and has resulted in a clear victory."


Agyarko cited high turnout in the Ashanti Region, expected to be over 80% in the NPP stronghold. He also pointed out higher than usual NPP support in the Northern Region, and anemic NDC turnout in their primary stronghold, the Volta region.


Agyarko thanked voters for their patience and enthusiasm for the free and fair process. He assured them that no one would be disenfranchised, and reiterated his call to the Electoral Commission and the security services to discharge their duties with excellence so that all voters can express their will on Saturday morning in a credible and legitimate vote. In closing, he reiterated the NPP's demand that the NDC Presidential Candidate, John Mahama, immediately backs down from his effort to stonewall a free, fair, and legitimate vote by attacking the biometric process that assures credibility and integrity of Ghanaians' votes.