EC CANCELLED VOTES IN THREE REGIONS

Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan - EC Chairman

Posted on: wwwdailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, May 13, 2013.

The Electoral Commission (EC) appears to be shifting blame on some of its presiding  officers who were in charge of the December 7 and 8, 2012 general elections which presidential results is being contested at the Supreme Court.

DAILY GUIDE has information that the leadership of the beleaguered commission is going to lead evidence in the ongoing Presidential Election Petition to the effect that the presiding officers overstepped their mandate by annulling results from a number of polling stations.

The petitioners including New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate in the December 2012 election, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the party’s National Chairman, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey in their petition said they have evidence that the officers of the  EC annulled results in a number of polling stations due to violations, irregularities and malpractices.

The EC as 2^nd respondent in its answer ever denied that any polling station results was annulled but seem to be changing their story since 2^nd petitioner, Dr. Bawumia testified on the annulments.

According Dr. Bawumia, some polling station results were annulled as a result of violations, irregularities and malpractices and told the nine-member panel trying the landmark petition that once that had been done, all polling stations where similar incidence occurred should also be annulled.

He said in his evidence-in-chief two weeks ago that “you cannot have one set of rules for one polling station and another for others.”

However, the EC in a supplementary affidavits filed late April somersaulted, admitting that results were cancelled in some polling stations but no permission was sought from senior officials.

According to the EC, the polling stations where the petitioners are claiming the EC annulled results are found in Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Northern Regions.

There are six polling stations involved with Northern Region having four.

They are H253105 Police Station Langbinsi, H252302 T. Booth Nanyeri, H251504 T. Booth Bongni and H252301 D/A Primary School Kulgona, all in Nalerigu-Gambaga Constituency.

The rest are G124202 R/C Church Kutre No. 1 Berekum West Constituency in Brong Ahafoand E 121703 Arabic Primary School Asuokow (A) in West Akim Constituency in the Eastern Region.

Power of Attorney

News about the EC making frantic effort to get its presiding officers to sign unsigned pink sheets, which are the focus of the case have been rife in the media.

The situation heightened when the petitioners supplied the respondents, which also include President John Dramani Mahama and his ruling National Democratic Congress, further and better particulars on the orders of the highest court.

The Savelugu incident where a lady National Service Person together with EC official were arrested by the police over pink sheets when the case started as well as the refusal of an EC official in Nalerigu Gambaga constituency to sign pink sheet are still fresh in the minds of the public.

As part of their case, the EC got its Regional Directors and presiding officers of polling stations where the results were annulled to swear affidavits as part of their defense in the petition.

Amadu Sulley, a Deputy Chairman in charge of Finance and Administration, who sources say EC Chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has given the power of attorney to become the commission’s principal witness in the petition, said in his supplementary affidavit of April 29, 2013 that they only got to know about the said annulments just recently.

Blame Game

“It was upon receipt of the affidavit of the 2^nd petitioner (Dr. Bawumia) filed on April 7, 2013, that I, and my colleagues at the headquarters, heard, for the first time, of the alleged annulments mentioned in paragraphs 28 and 31 of the said affidavit,” he claimed.

He averred that upon contacting the commission’s Northern and Eastern Regional Directors, Sylvester Kanyi and Paul Boateng respectively, they said they were not aware of the alleged annulments.

In the case of the Northern Region, Mr. Kanyi claimed that neither the District Electoral Officer nor the Returning Officer drew his attention to the annulments of the four polling stations.

He attached to his affidavit, statements purportedly signed by Meshanu Kasimu Hamisu (Returning Officer for Nalerigu-Gambaga Constituency), Iddrisu Evans – Presiding Officer for T/B Nanyeri polling station the man who refused to sign the affidavit prepared for him, Bawah Rukaya – Presiding Officer of Police Station Langbinsi, Mahamudu Samacheni–T/B Bongni as well as Samuel Klu – Presiding Officer of L/A Primary School Kulgona, who all confirmed the results were annulled because there were more ballot in the box than required.

Iddrissu Adam Abass, Returning Officer of Berekum East Constituency and Abinah Charles Kwaku in their affidavits also claimed that they did not seek authorization from their bosses before annulling the R/C Church Kutre Polling Station results where it was in excess of 8 votes.

However, before the election on December 7, the EC chairman had made it clear that where there is over voting, even if it is one vote the results from such polling stations would be nullified.

National Security Drama

The deployment of national security operatives by Lt Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (rtd), National Security Coordinator on Saturday strongly defended  the sending of operatives to the Supreme Court building to protect the controversial pink sheets in the custody of the court.  

The Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Opoku-Acheampong on Thursday had turned down the offer but Gbevlo-Lartey insists that the operatives were needed to safeguard the pink sheets which audit will be undertaken by KPMG, and accounting and auditing firm.

The pink sheets are at the centre of the electoral dispute before the nine-member panel of the Supreme Court hearing the petition of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey.

In the heat of the NDC counsel Tsatsu Tsikata’s cross-examination of Dr Bawumia, there was a misunderstanding over the number of pink sheets submitted as exhibits by the petitioners; and the Supreme Court justices ordered a recount, which was to be conducted by KPMG.

Out of the blue, a number of national security operatives appeared at the Supreme Court premises, claiming that they were detailed to protect the pink sheets. 

The presence of National Security operatives and NDC activists at the court was said to have attracted the attention of some top officials of the court, who engaged them in verbal exchanges, DAILY GUIDE gathered.

They were told them in plain language that they were not needed at the court premises.

Lead Counsel for the third respondent Tsatsu Tsikata is expected to subject Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to further scrutiny of pink sheet exhibits today.