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Release, NPP
December 08, 2012
NPP REMINDS NDC: SATURDAY’S VOTING
TAKES PLACE IN ONLY 1% OF TOTAL NUMBER OF POLLING
STATIONS
Boakye Agyarko, the Campaign Manager of Nana
Akufo-Addo's campaign for President, today predicted
with confidence a solid first round victory for the NPP
presidential candidate.
With only a fraction of votes in less than one percent
of polling stations yet to be cast, due to faulty
biometric verification machines on December 7, the
President of the Republic and the ruling National
Democratic Congress are clutching at straws and creating
the impression as if the remaining votes, when cast, can
overturn the obvious defeat that the ruling party has
suffered in this election.
Mr Boakye Agyarko said the NDC should not use the
problem which affected a relatively tiny number of
polling centres as an excuse for their bad showing in
Friday’s presidential and parliamentary polls. For
example, voting will take place Saturday in 73 polling
stations in Greater Accra, 25 in the Central Region and
only 2 in the Volta Region.
“This cannot be said to amount to a disaster,
especially, when there is an opportunity to redress this
matter today,” he said.
“We are happy that the EC, in accordance with the law,
will allow voters who missed out Friday, as a result of
faulty equipment, to exercise their franchise today,
Saturday, December 8. We are, therefore, calling on all
our supporters to come out once again in their numbers
and vote.”
But, the NPP Campaign Manager could not hide his party’s
disappointment with attempts by the NDC to discredit the
elections. “We do not think it is proper for the NDC to
seek to use this relatively marginal percentage of total
votes left to be cast to say that the 2012 general
elections have been marred, as the NDC has sought to
do,” he said.
The President, on Friday, called for people to be
allowed to vote without biometric verification, contrary
to the law. This has been condemned by the NPP as
“irresponsible and unnecessary.”
Mr Boakye Agyarko has urged the President and NDC
Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama, to stop
making unlawful pronouncements on the electoral process
and display good sportsmanship in allowing the rest of
the voters, who were unable to cast their votes on
December 7 to proceed on Saturday to exercise their
franchise, in a transparent and lawful manner, according
to the biometric process.
The NPP Campaign Manager has described the call by the
President of the Republic, Friday, that voters must
proceed to vote without subjecting their identity to
biometric verification, as "dangerous and
irresponsible," adding, "it is the last shrill of a
government which knows it has lost but is desperately
seeking for any illegitimate opening to overturn the
people's mandate."
"We are calling on the EC to stick strictly to the law,
which gives voters in all polling stations where voting
was suspended yesterday an opportunity to cast their
ballots today, using biometric verification so that a
legitimate and clear victory for Nana Akufo-Addo can be
declared as quickly as possible once all votes are cast,
and a transition process from Mr Mahama's caretaker
Presidency can begin."
"Based on all the data being received, Nana Akufo-Addo
is on course to win a 1st round victory with an
incontestable margin. NPP parliamentary candidates are
winning seats that we had never won before. This, which
is happening across the country, is a clear indication
of an NPP victory, which will produce a parliamentary
majority, as well, and the general performance of our
parliamentary candidate is exceeding expectations. We
have challengers who have upset sitting MPs and
Ministers, which shows that Nana Akufo-Addo and the
NPP's vision of change and transforming Ghana has
resonated with voters and has resulted in a clear
victory."
Agyarko cited high turnout in the Ashanti Region,
expected to be over 80% in the NPP stronghold. He also
pointed out higher than usual NPP support in the
Northern Region, and anemic NDC turnout in their primary
stronghold, the Volta region.
Agyarko thanked voters for their patience and enthusiasm
for the free and fair process. He assured them that no
one would be disenfranchised, and reiterated his call to
the Electoral Commission and the security services to
discharge their duties with excellence so that all
voters can express their will on Saturday morning in a
credible and legitimate vote. In closing, he reiterated
the NPP's demand that the NDC Presidential Candidate,
John Mahama, immediately backs down from his effort to
stonewall a free, fair, and legitimate vote by attacking
the biometric process that assures credibility and
integrity of Ghanaians' votes.
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