The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) and Deputy Director of Elections of the NDC, Rashid Tanko Computer has accused presidential hopefuls of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of turning the Ablekuma North elections rerun into a battleground to test their popularity ahead of the party’s internal contest.
His comments follow the visit of former Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and other high-ranking NPP figures to the constituency on the eve of the rerun despite the party’s national leadership publicly withdrawing from the exercise and branding the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to rerun elections in 19 polling stations as “unjust.”
“If you look at all these things they are doing, it’s completely needless. As of yesterday, less than 12 hours to the election, they mobilized not less than one million Ghana cedis. What is she going to use that money for? Your guess is as good as mine,” the GIFEC CEO stated in an interview.
According to him, the rerun has been hijacked by aspirants seeking to make political statements rather than resolve the actual concerns of voters.
“Since yesterday, the presidential candidates of the NPP decided to use this as a test case of their popularity. You saw how they were dishing out money, GH₵200,000 here, GH₵200,000 there, $6,000.”
Responding to reported incidents of violence at some polling stations, he claimed that he altercations were internal to the NPP and did not involve any member of the National Democratic Congress. According to him, the violence stems from the defiance of the party’s orders to abstain from the elections
While defending the NDC’s conduct, he emphasized the party’s commitment to discipline and order.
“All our party people are disciplined. They know what is expected of them. We are winning the seat, and that’s why we have put these things together. I’ve toured all the polling stations. Nobody from our side is involved in the acts they are accusing us of.”
He insisted that the NDC was relying on its performance in government rather than engaging in vote buying, as he sought to dismiss allegations of inducement, allegations which the Greater Accra Regional Minister had downplayed by stating that providing transport fares does not constitute vote buying.
“We are not giving anyone money. Our good works are speaking for us. The people are saying that in just seven months, we have done so much work that they are coming out in their numbers to vote.”he said
The rerun at the 19polling stations in the Ablekuma North constituency has seen heightened tension, with assaults on journalists, police officers and part officials, halting the process temporarily at some polling stations till calm was restored.