The leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have invaded the Electoral Commission (EC) office in the Techiman South Constituency in the Bono East Region.
NDC General Secretary John Asiedu Nketiah, former National Security Coordinator Lieutenant Colonel Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (rtd), lawyers Baba Jamal and Kojogah Adawudu; Asutifi South MP Collins Dauda were among a group of highly intimidating party officials who visited the constituency.
They virtually pounced on the returning officer in that constituency, demanding copies of the pink sheets and collation sheet used to declare the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah as the Member of Parliament-elect.
Responding, the Returning Officer insisted he did not have the documents with him and directed the eye-red NDC officials to go to EC’s Regional Office for the collated result.
He told members of the main opposition to go to the regional office where he had sent the copies including that of the NDC.
On Election Day and during the collation, the NDC raised some objections and the subsequent confusion at the place where the collation was being done called for an intervention by the security agencies.
The NDC insisted that the results were not officially declared by the Returning Officer.
However, the NPP debunked that assertion and went ahead to show a video indicating the returning officer officially declaring the results, whilst some men from the NDC attempted to attack and snatch the megaphone with which he was announcing the results.
The main opposition party claimed the EC manipulated figures in favour of the governing NPP.
Last Thursday, the NDC’s presidential candidate, Mr John Dramani Mahama in reiterating his stance not to accept the results declared by the EC, said everything was being done to prove their claims.
“We are deploying an additional crack teams of lawyers and senior Party officials to support them (constituency officers).
“Also, in order not to leave any further infractions unaccounted for, the NDC will continue its meticulous audit of all presidential pink sheets to ensure that the verdict of the people is upheld.
“These steps will surely lead to our next line of actions within the constraints of our democratic governance process.
“We want to send a caution to the EC that in line with Regulation 47 of CI 127, they should ensure that election data is preserved for a year, after elections,” Mr Mahama said.
