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Some aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Atiwa West Constituency of the Eastern Region, have called on the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the party to stick by its decision to annul the constituency elections held recently and conduct a new election.
They alleged that the conduct of the election was violated and should be declared null and void.
“We appeal to FEC to stand firm by their decision to annul the constituency election because it was not credible, transparent, free, and fair and the election was conducted with the connivance of the Constituency Chairman even though an injunction was place on it and no lawful supervisory body such as the Electoral Commission and Party Electoral Committee was present,” they contended.
Addressing a press conference at Kwarbeng, spokesperson for the aggrieved aspirants, James Okoi, said the members present did not form a quorum, hence could not have proceeded with the election.
“The election must be conducted by officials of the Electoral Commission under the guidance of the Electoral Committee of the party but the constitutional provision was duly violated and the EC withdrew due to the court injunction and the chairman of the Party Election Committee did not also supervise the election,” Mr. Okoi noted.
According to him, there was an interlocutory injunction placed on the conference, restraining it from happening, only 320 out of the 613 delegates expected stayed for the conference and 409 meet the requirements for a quorum but the constituency chairman blatantly disregarded the guideline and went ahead to organise the election after calling it off.
Mr. Okoi demanded that the NDC functional leadership annulled the election to avoid cracks that may affect the party’s electoral fortunes in the constituency since the Sankubease election was fraudulent and if FEC failed to annul it, they would advise themselves.
Julius Caesar Gafli, the secretary, stated that a new constituency election was the only solution to bring peaceful co-existence, unity, harmony and cohesion in the Atewa West Constituency because article 38 Clause 9 (e) of NDC’s constitution and regulation 7.3 had been violated.
“We need a fresh election in the Atewa West constituency for the NDC leadership which showed clearly there was violation of the party’s constitution which had led to the constituency chairman brandishing himself around for engaging in fraudulent ‘ways and means’ election, which is wrong,” he indicated.
