General News of Thursday, 17 December 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

NPP reveals happenings in Electoral Commission's strong room before the declaration of election results

Campaign Manager of NPP, Peter Mac Manu Campaign Manager of NPP, Peter Mac Manu

For all that has been said about events leading to the declaration of the results of the 2020 election, the biggest is how Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, allegedly tricked the representatives of the National Democratic Congress into leaving the Commission's strongroom for her to allegedly collude with the New Patriotic Party to declare Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the winner of the presidential elections.

Jean Mensa is alleged to have sent Rojo Mettle Nunoo and Kpessa Whyte on an errand to iron out some issues with John Dramani Mahama, only to declare the results after the NDC officials had left the Commission's premises.

This show of bad fate is one of the numerous axioms the NDC is basing claims of a flawed and rigged election on.

But as the saying goes, there are two sides to every story, but in this case, there are three sides. The NDC’s side, the EC’s side, and of course, the NPP who according to the NDC narrative as well as critics of the EC, benefitted from the rigging scheme.

Peter Mac Manu, the Campaign Manager of the NPP was one of four persons who represented the NPP at the National Collation Centre and he has shared what can be described as the party’s side of the story.

While he is unable to confirm whether the NDC reps were indeed sent by the EC chair, he sees nothing wrong with the results being declared in their absence.

To him, the practice of people leaving the strong room is not new as he left the office at some point.

He also does not accept that the absence of the NDC officials is an indication that the election was rigged in his party’s favour.

“I remember Sylvanus Tamakloe came looking for Rojo and I told him they have gone out. He hanged around and I went to the bathroom and he was still around because they had not returned. We were waiting for Savelugu and certification of Bono East.

“Later Bono East came and all the parties bar NDC signed because they were not there. Declaration was done on the next floor of the EC office and that room permitted only two agents of political parties. The international observers were also there. I went there and later Jean and her team, and announced the result. The story of somebody leaving or being there was immaterial because it would have changed nothing,” he narrated on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana.