We did not influence NUGS elections - Sammy Awuku

Sammy Awuku, the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has denied allegations of attempting to use money to influence the outcome of elections of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).

Addressing the issue on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia programme, the Youth leader of the biggest opposition party stated that the claims by the Daily Post newspaper are fabrications meant to discredit the NUGS elections and that is “pathetic”.

“…as a youth leader, what I only did was to issue a statement wishing all the contestants well...I never played any role in the NUGS elections. Chairman Wontumi was also not there so why are they tagging us with this? But in any case, who spends money more than the NDC and the government? If anyone use money to influence anything, then it is the NDC.

"It is not true that I tried to use money to influence the outcome of the NUGS elections,” he said.

Mr. Awuku’s statements come on the heels of a publication by the Daily Post newspaper on Tuesday,November 4, accusing him and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako of bribing delegates of the NUGS elections which was held on the 23rd of September, 2014 at the Akrokerri Training College, in the Ashanti Region.

According to the paper, “The election, which was held in September 23, 2014 at the Akrokerri training College in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region saw Akufo-Addo deploying national youth Organizer Sammy Awuku and Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, a.k.a Chairman Wontumi sparing no efforts to influence the outcome of the elections to enable the party use the new leaders to harass the Mahama government in the run-up to the 2016 elections.

"They managed to get one Paa Kwesi Adu of UPSA disqualified in a bid to ensure their preferred candidate, Kofi Asamoah of NAFTI, elected President of NUGS."

Daily Post went on to allege that “…It was a matter of money galore as Chairman Wontumi splashed money on the delegates to get certain personalities who the NPP see as their supporters elected”.

But Sammy Awuku has described the publication as false and must be treated with all the contempt it deserves.

“…I will not dignify the story by commenting further,” he maintained.