The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has dismissed the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) calls for the prosecution of an Electoral Commission officer who was arrested in Kintampo South on allegations of electoral misconduct.
The NDC characterized the NPP’s requests as unfounded and a diversionary strategy aimed at inciting discord and diverting focus from the current electoral proceedings.
The issue arose following the arrest of Joseph Dery, an Electoral Commission officer, who is alleged to have distributed ballot papers that lacked the photograph of the first presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to voters.
This purported misconduct quickly escalated into a contentious issue in the Kintampo South elections, provoking strong reactions from NPP supporters, who perceived it as a calculated effort to skew the election results.
According to law enforcement, Dery was detained after party representatives and vigilant polling station officials identified discrepancies in the ballot papers.
The situation was promptly reported, resulting in his arrest and the seizure of the questionable ballot materials.
During a press conference, Denis Miracles Aboagye, a spokesperson for the Dr. Bawumia campaign, called for the immediate prosecution of Joseph Dery.
The party accused the Electoral Commission officer of intentionally taking actions to disenfranchise voters and compromise the integrity of the democratic process.
In a prompt response, the NDC rejected the NPP’s claims and their call for prosecution as unfounded.
During a press conference, National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi accused the NPP of leveraging the situation to divert attention from their expected electoral loss.
Gyamfi maintained that any alleged wrongdoing fell under the jurisdiction of the Electoral Commission, not the NDC.
He contended that the NPP should prioritize ensuring transparency through legitimate channels instead of making baseless accusations against their rivals.
“The NPP has turned to trivial allegations because they sense impending defeat, prompting them to engage in various unfounded claims to incite their supporters and disrupt the electoral process.”
“This was not an action taken by the NDC, but rather by an officer of the Electoral Commission; therefore, if blame is to be assigned, it should be directed at the EC, not the NDC.”
