The NDC Parliamentary candidate for the Atiwa East Constituency in the Eastern Region Dr Robert Defia expressed serious reservation about the manner in which electoral commission officials sped off with ballot boxes to ‘unknown place’ without allowing political party agents to follow them after close of special voting Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
According to the candidate, the EC officials sped off with the ballot boxes and the NDC agents attempted to chase the vehicle but got to the police station where the ballots ought to be kept 20 minutes before the EC officials arrived.
According to Dr Robert Defia “after the close of voting, the various party agents placed their seals on the EC’s ballot boxes both for the Presidential and Parliamentary in relation to the special voting. What happened was that, after they have placed the ballot boxes, the EC vehicle was parked close to where the boxes were and they took the boxes into the Nissan Vehicle and drove off without letting the party agents to follow them so we basically followed them up. One on a motorbike and one in a vehicle but when we got to the police station they were nowhere to be found. We waited for about 20 minutes thereafter they came when we asked where have they been, they told us basically they left something at the EC office and they had to go back using a different route reason they are late”
He continued that “I actually found that explanation not convincing so actually lodged protest with them at the Police station that what they did was wrong, was not transparent and that should not be the way we should be going in terms of our democracy. I proceeded to their office to lodge complaint at the District office of EC but the director told me to go and return the next day”.
He said the NDC was denied the opportunity to inspect the seal to ensure it was intact raising suspicion that the ballot boxes may have been tampered with.
Efforts to reach the Atiwa East District Director of EC were not successful.
The incumbent Member of Parliament for Atiwa East Abena Osei Asare who doubles as a deputy finance minister is being challenged by NDC’s Dr Robert Defia.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh /Kojo Ansah
