This follows the challenge of the 2012 presidential results by the New Patriotic Party led by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

The NPP argued that they had every reason to believe that the results were rigged in favour of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) candidate John Dramani Mahama.

[contextly_sidebar id=”RFLyagpa5roVL4ZoWRbBUVyPruldjVKI”]They prayed the Court to declare their candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo as President with reasons that unpardonable malpractices and irregularities at 10,119 polling stations justified the nullification of 3,931,339 “invalid votes” which, the petitioners argued, would have beaten down John Mahama’s votes and overturned the declared results by the Electoral Commission.

According to the NPP’s pleadings, over-voting occurred at 1,722 polling stations, while voting without biometric verification occurred at 2,020 polling stations.

They claimed presiding officers did not also sign pink sheets at 1,638 polling stations, while the use of duplicate serial numbers on pink sheets affected 8,987 polling stations.

The petitioners further argued that if the results of the 10,119 polling stations were annulled, President Mahama’s votes would have reduced by 2,622,551, which would have, in turn, beaten down the results declared by the Electoral Commission in his favour, to 41.79 per cent.

They said although Nana Akufo-Addo’s votes would have, in like manner, been reduced by 1,233,186, he would have nonetheless secured 56.85 per cent, per their permutations, to cross the 50 per cent mark for victory.

But the nine panel Supreme Court in its ruling read by Justice William Atuguba upheld John Mahama as the constitutionally elected President. The ruling however quelled the tensions in Ghana at the time.

The other justices who sat on the case included: Justices Julius Ansah, Sophia Adinyira, Rose Constance Owusu, Jones Victor Dotse, Anin Yeboah, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, N. S. Gbadegbe and Vida Akoto-Bamfo.

The Supreme Court further made some recommendations to the Electoral Commission for subsequent elections.

Although the then flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo disagreed with the Supreme Court’s ruling, he accepted it in good faith.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Four years today: Supreme Court ruled on Election Petition case appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the NPP requested the emergency meeting of IPAC over the alleged the printing of pink sheets without serial numbers.

[contextly_sidebar id=”OHAI7cpKcVSDsXgQfXUpVDcfKgJx02oP”]The pink sheets are the materials used for the tabulation and collation of election results at both the parliamentary and presidential levels at the various polling centres and constituency collation centres respectively.

But the Commission’s Head of Communications, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, told Citi News’ Sixtus Dong Ullo that though the printing process has started, they are yet to decide on whether to have the emergency IPAC meeting.

“The Commission is yet to decide on whether to have the emergency IPAC as requested or not so at any point in time when the commission decides to have any IPAC meeting, we will communicate same to you and to the political parties.”

“So whatever decision the commission things is appropriate and would be in the best interest of all stakeholders and the electoral process would be taken,” Mr. Dzakpasu stated.

The EC has since described as false the NPP’s claims over the printing of pink sheets without serial numbers for the 2016 elections.

Describing the allegations as regrettable, the Commission said the NPP would have been better served raising concerns with it rather than “rush to the media with unfounded claims of non-existent plans to manipulate election results.”

At the time of the allegations, the EC stated that the prinitng process had not even begun.

In the meantime, Mr. Dzakpasu indicated that the various political parties, police and national security have been duly invited to monitor the printing process.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post No decision on emergency IPAC meeting over pink sheets – EC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The call comes just a day after the Chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei defended the credibility of the company in an interview with the BBC.

But speaking to Citi News, the Convener of Let My Vote Count Alliance, David Asante, said allowing Aerovote to print materials for the election will leave the process questionable.

[contextly_sidebar id=”n8Ov60a4rY46NVsR5Z15BWyF4FvJWPc7″]“Our checks reveal the same organization, Aerovote, was liquidated and was rendered insolvent in Britain in the year 2013, and they just rushed into this country in 2016 and set up less than 11 months with a seed capital of GHc500, of which they registered the organization and they were incorporated in Ghana.”

David Asante also insisted that, the Electoral Commission shouldn’t have awarded the contract to Aerovote in the first place.

“It is a serious matter when an organization that has been declared bankrupt in Britain moves to Ghana and in 11 months the Electoral Commission of Ghana awards such a company a contract. The Electoral Commission is dealing with an organization that has no integrity and crisis on their hands; we cannot do business with such an organization,” he added.

EC defends Aerovote

Charlotte Osei in the BBC interview, however clarified that; the company “has always printed it [pink sheets] for us and has now relocated to Ghana which made their pricing better for us.”

“This time, we did not have to bear the high freight charges that we would have had to bear and also the time for shipping,” she added.

EC must come clean

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), is also skeptical about the EC’s claims.

The NPP’s Director of Elections, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, said they believe the EC has not been transparent enough in the award of contract.

“The issue surrounding this matter is a bit sketchy; so we are waiting for further clarification, but what we do know is that, the companies that competed for this contract should have some proven capability, while offering some transparency. One quoted a far less amount of about 4.2 million as against 8 million by the other. The other who has no proven record and is gone bankrupt in the UK, physically, nobody knows their location in this country, and we are not too sure that they are going to even do it here or elsewhere, suddenly, somehow wins it,” he added.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Cancel pink sheets contract with ‘bankrupt’ British firm – LMVC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, the NPP’s Director of Elections, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, said they believe the EC has not been transparent enough in the award of contract.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BZz3Zyp98kiwDkTNvMvyyyoJhVLxN37s”]“The issue surrounding this matter is a bit sketchy; so we are waiting for further clarification, but what we do know is that, the companies that competed for this contract should have some proven capability, while offering some transparency. One quoted a far less amount of about 4.2 million as against 8 million by the other. The other who has no proven record and is gone bankrupt in the UK, physically, nobody knows their location in this country, and we are not too sure that they are going to even do it here or elsewhere, suddenly, somehow wins it,” he added.

The Daily Statesman newspaper had alleged in a publication on Thursday, that the EC had awarded a US$8.95 million contract to a British firm, which has been dissolved, to print the electoral sheets for Ghana.

But the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, in an interview with the BBC’s Akwasi Sarpong debunked the claims, adding that the contract was also financially prudent.

She clarified that, the company “has always printed it for us and has now relocated to Ghana which made their pricing better for us. This time, we did not have to bear the high freight charges that we would have had to bear and also the time for shipping.”

But Mr. Korsah argued that, the company has no proven record anywhere in the world; hence should not have been given the contract.

“They have no record to show as against the other companies, one of which produced the 2012 one. He is advised to have won the contract, at least per the information; he quoted the most reasonable price that the Ghanaian tax payer would have been okay with, they did it the last time without any hitches.”

Mr. Korsah further questioned why the British firm that failed to secure similar contract in Kenya should be given an opportunity in Ghana.

“He tried getting a contract to print ballot papers in Kenya; and he didn’t get it; and yet in Ghana he’s lucky to walk away with a rather huge sum as compared to what the others quoted. We need some transparency in this whole arrangement,” he added.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post EC must come clean on company printing ‘pink sheets’ – NPP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.