Nullify Ablekuma D/A Elections - Aspirants petition EC

Five aspirants in the just-ended District Assembly (D/A) elections have petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) to re-run the polls for the Ablekuma Electoral Area amid claims of widespread irregularities.

The petition, signed by the aspirants who include Messrs Alex Marvin Barnes, Adamu Kere, Isaac Obu Siame, Stephen Nii Okailei Nettey and Nasir Mohammed Awal, which copy Today has intercepted, enumerated eight electoral violations which they alleged compromised the September 1 polls in the area.

Accordingly, they asked the EC to nullify the results and organise fresh elections for the electoral area.

Claiming unfair playing field in the conduct of the elections, the petitioners alleged that agents of candidates were prevented from getting near to the voting exercise, hence preventing them from effectively monitoring the process.

However, they said to their surprise agents of the incumbent Assembly Member for area, George Adu Darko, who was seeking re-election, were allowed access to sit near the voting centres.

They further claimed that persons affiliated to the incumbent were made to work as EC officials on the day of the polls, citing the children of Mr. Dadzie, a Unit Committee member, who is an ally of the incumbent, to buttress their case.

According to the peeved aspirants, one Yeboah, also a former Unit Committee member and a friend to Mr. George Adu Darko, reportedly served as an electoral official at the Abibiman polling station in clear breach of the electoral process.

These persons whom they described as “unauthorised” handled the voters register despite the regulation preventing them from doing so.

To this end, they said, they could not vouch for the credibility of votes from the effected polling stations.

The petitioners again pointed out that on the day of voting, there were posters of some aspirants on the walls when the regulations did not allow it.

Consequently, they called on the EC to cancel the results of what they described as “bogus elections” for the conduct of fresh polls in the area.

Speaking to Today, an aspirant, Mr. Kinsley Tetteh Quarcoo, who could not sign the petition but endorsed the action of his colleagues, alleged the votes of the incumbent Assembly member were padded to give unfair advantage and this, among other reasons, informed their decision not to sign the declaration forms.

He said signing the forms would have legitimised the “illegal conduct of the Returning Officer.

Meanwhile, Today has gathered that tension is swelling up in the area due to the failure of the EC to declare a winner of the polls which has now become a subject of dispute.

This has sharply divided supporters of the aspirants with each support group claiming their candidate won the ill-fated elections.

Today gathered that the purported open claim by Mr. Adu Darko that he had won the polls has further muddied the waters and angered supporters of his six contenders who have now called on the EC to call him to order.

They further vowed that they will not accept the “discredited results.”

In an interview, another aspirant, Mr. Nasir Mohammed Awal, hinted that they will seek redress even if it meant resorting to the law court in order to ensure justice was done.

He said if the EC fails to heed to their call for a re-run they will have no other option but to go to court to restrain the EC.

He said: “We are not ruling out placing an injunction on the declaration of the results of the elections by the EC.”