Prosper Asare speaking on behalf of the 2700 affected NPP members in Tapa Abotoase and Tapa Amenya
Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Biakoye Constituency of the Oti Region have registered their displeasure about the failure of the constituency election committee to hold elections in 25 polling stations in their area.
They accused the committee, led by the Regional Organizer of the party, Abubakar Salifu popularly known as Oti Abu of intentionally disenfranchising the over 2700 members of the party in the Tapa Abotoase and Tapa Amenya for their parochial interest.
Speaking at a press conference, Prosper Asare, the spokesperson of the aggrieved members explained that they are disappointed because per the schedule, elections were supposed to be conducted in the Tapa Abotoase and Tapa Amenya on Saturday, 5th March 2022, yet it did not happen.
He said many left their busy schedules to vote, yet they stayed there for hours and the elections did not happen. There was no communication to them as to why the elections did not come off too.
The aggrieved polling station members said they suspected “a calculated attempt to prevent us from exercising our rights and imposing executives on us to serve the interest of the current constituency executives.”
This was because, when nominations were opened, some aspirants from the 25 polling stations in the two electoral areas (Tapa Abotoase and Tapa Amenya) were denied access and not issued nomination forms for no reason.
They had to maneuver and get the nomination forms from the head office in Accra, submitted them, and were hereby cleared to contest, without vetting. Yet when it mattered most, the Constituency election committee together with the Regional Organizer, Oti Abu disenfranchised them
They found it even more shocking that senior members of the party joined the committee to conduct elections on Wednesday, 2nd March 2022 through to Friday, 4th March 2022, in Worawora, Bowiri, and Nkonya areas, yet failed to discharge the same duty on Saturday 5, 2022 which was the turn of Tapa Amanya and Tapa Abotoase.
Prosper Asare reiterated that “this a calculated attempt to deny us the right to elect our leaders, hereby, imposing their favourites on us to serve the selfish interests of a few, at the detriment of the party.”
He was worried that the poor judgement of the committee would cause disaffection in the party and reverse the gains made against breaking the hold of the opposition NDC in the past years.
The aggrieved members have therefore called on President Akufo-Addo, the NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay, and the General Secretary, John Boadu to call the committee to order and ensure elections are held in the affected 25 polling stations.
If the right thing is not done, they will advise themselves.
The Chairman of the Constituency Election Committee and Regional Organiser, Abubakar Salifu in response explained that, when nominations were opened (19th to 21st February 2022), they did well to ensure the various polling stations were reached with the forms. They also engaged the members during the one-day extension for the filing of nominations.
However, per the forms in their custody, some of the polling stations had uncontested aspirants and so, the committee in consultation with the party deemed it fit to allow such aspirants to go through.
He, therefore, urged the aspirants and the members of the affected polling stations to be calm, as there was no cause for alarm.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)