Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu & Eric Kombat
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) propaganda that the vice
presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was
verified at his residence during the recent voter exhibition exercise, has been
shot down by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The EC also cleared Dr Bawumia of a GH¢10,000 bribery allegation
leveled against him, saying that there was no evidence before it to that effect.
The NDC had cooked up the allegation, claiming that Dr Bawumia
bribed two EC officers with GH¢10,000 in order to verify him in his private
residence at Walewale in the Northern Region during the just ended voter
verification exercise.
The governing party subsequently lodged a complaint to the police at
Walewale and the CID headquarters says it has taken over the matter.
The EC however, admits that two of its officers assigned to the
Exhibition Centre number H230401 at the Kperiga Presby JHS ‘A,’ Walewale in the
West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region, breached the rules by verifying
Dr. Bawumia outside the designated polling station on July 24; but did not say
the process was done in the residence of the NPP vice presidential candidate.
“We blame the registration and exhibition officers for the
irregularities. We could not establish that indeed there was money or
motivation which induced them to work outside their areas,” EC head of Public
Affairs, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, told Citi FM
last night.
Investigation
The two officers are Ambrose Yobe (Exhibition Officer) and Mumuni
Latifa (Verification Officer) who took Dr Bawumia through the verification
process.
Deputy Chairperson of the EC, Amadu Sulley, in a statement yesterday,
disclosed that a three-member committee was set up by the Nothern Regional
Directorate of the commission to investigate the incident and provide
appropriate recommendations.
He said the committee established that on the said date, Mr. Yobe
and Ms. Latifa “closed and vacated their exhibition centre before the
stipulated closing time of 6pm. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was facilitated by both
officers to check his name in the voters’ register and got verified outside the
exhibition centre.
“The committee was of the considered opinion that the conduct of the
officers was a violation of the guidelines issued for the exercise and contrary
to the commission’s policies and affirmed that only the commission has the
mandate to designate specific areas as Exhibition Centres. Exhibition Officials
have no authority to set up or relocate Exhibition Centres to a place different
from the one designated by the commission without the prior express
authorization of the EC.”
He also said, “The committee concluded that allowing a registered
voter to go through the exhibition process outside the designated centre was an
irregularity and a breach of the rules. Accordingly, the two officers were
replaced by the Ag. District Electoral Officer as soon as the issue was brought
to the attention of the commission.”
NPP Response
The NPP immediately issued a statement through the Walewale
Constituency Secretary, Simon Ali, saying, “The Walewale Constituency NPP feels
vindicated by the conclusions of a three-member committee (as contained in a
statement issued by the Deputy Chairperson of the EC, Amadu Sulley) and which
was set up by the Northern Regional Directorate of the Electoral Commission to
investigate allegations put out by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“The key false accusations put out by the NDC included; that – Dr.
Mahamudu Bawumia was verified at his residence and that he also gave two EC
officers a sum of GH¢10,000.”
Vindication
“Our vindication in this case stems from the fact that the truth
contained in our initial response to the spurious allegations put out by the
NDC on 30th July, have been endorsed by the EC’s three-member committee and
subsequent statement.”
According to the NPP, “Dr. Bawumia was never verified in his home or
family residence as was put out falsely by the NDC,” adding that “Dr. Mahamudu
Bawumia never gave any official of the EC any amount for whatever purpose and
that the NDC put out that allegation, like all others, purely to tarnish the
image of Dr. Bawumia who has become a nightmare for the NDC and who they
continue to plot against and seek to destroy.”
The party indicated that Dr. Bawumia never invited any EC officer to
verify him at his residence. “Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was verified at a spot
adjacent to the verification centre because the officers on the day were in the
process of moving their equipment and documents in attempt to seek shelter, due
to the prevailing weather situation at the time.
“We are confident that the conclusions and recommendations of the
three-member EC panel will bring finality to this matter and call on the NDC,
especially their officers who schemed and spewed these lies against Dr.
Mahamudu Bawumia, to do the honourable and bow their heads in shame.”
Police Probe
The
Northern Regional police spokesman, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, told DAILY
GUIDE that a complaint was lodged at the Walewale Police Station and it
was transferred to the regional headquarters.
According
to ASP Tetteh, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Accra headquarters,
had taken over the matter.
“A complaint was lodged with the Walewale police, and the
CID in the Northern Region has taken statements from the verification
officer of the EC and one other officer. As we speak, they are even in the
jurisdiction doing further investigations. As and when we need to put anything
out there, we will do so,” the police officer said.
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