The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has questioned the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over its resistance to a re-collation of votes in disputed constituencies.
He argued that such opposition raises doubts about the party’s confidence in its alleged victories.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, Mr Ahiagbah criticised the NDC for its approach, suggesting that the party’s refusal to participate in the re-collation process undermines its claim to having won certain parliamentary seats.
“So the electoral process that created the problem can solve the problem. It’s a question of counting and properly counting the numbers. Why would the NDC be opposed to the recollation if they knew that they had won? … Okay, so this process has engendered this much disagreement, and the only way to resolve it is just to count the numbers that are already there. Then I don’t think that there’s any difficulty. There’s no dispute in the matter that the EC cannot resolve, the EC can count the numbers,” he said.
He also condemned what he described as “excessive violence” allegedly perpetrated by NDC operatives during the elections. He argued that such actions led to declarations being made under duress rather than through due process.
“The violence we witnessed on election day is unacceptable and repulsive. Some declarations were made under duress, not clear-eyed decisions,” he added.
He emphasized that the electoral process itself holds the solution to these disputes and called on the NDC to allow the EC to proceed with re-collation rather than seeking redress in court, noting that court cases could prolong resolution for years, whereas re-collation could settle the matter promptly.
The EC has announced its decision to re-collate parliamentary results in nine constituencies in the December 7 elections.
Addressing the press on Thursday, the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa said some of these declarations were made without the requisite pink sheets from all polling stations.
She further claimed that some electoral officers had been coerced or threatened into announcing the results prematurely. She declared as illegal the declaration of results in Okaikwei Central and Ablekuma North which had been declared in favour of NDC candidates.
The nine constituencies are Nsawan Adoagyiri, Ahafo Ano South West, Ahafo Ano North, Obuasi East, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, Techiman South and Dome Kwabenya.
However, the NDC has firmly stated that there will be no re-collation of parliamentary results.
Source: myjoyonline.com