General News of Friday, 28 December 2012

Source: Joy Online

NPP identifies over 1.3 million "stolen" votes

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it has uncovered over 1.3 million votes which were illegally counted and stolen for the governing National Democratic Congress.

The Vice presidential candidate of the party in the 2012 elections, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia took journalists through what he claimed were massive irregularities in the just ended elections.

“There are so many ways of stealing a vote, the same way there are so many ways of killing a cat,” Bawumia said at a press conference, shortly after the party filed a writ at the Supreme Court to challenge the 2012 election declaration made by EC Chair Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan.

Cataloging what he said were examples of the irregularities, Dr Bawumia said there were over-voting - when the votes in the ballot box exceed the ballots issued to voters-, voting without verification, duplicated serial numbers and several other irregularities.

Over voting alone accounted for 620,443 votes, voting without verification, 456,933, words and figures that did not match accounted for 3,841 votes, he noted.

He said a total of all these irregularities amounted to 1,340,018 illegal ballots.

The NPP vice presidential candidate who is also the second petitioner at the Supreme Court said when these figures were adjusted and reconciled, the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, would be declared winner of the 2012 Presidential poll.

Dr Bawumia showed examples of these irregularities which he said took place especially at the polling stations and brought with him the pink sheets issued at the polling station as his evidence.

He however did not proffer evidence to show that the case of over-voting went in favour of the NDC as the NPP is alleging except to add that the party has gathered all the evidence and will present it in court.