A failed New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate aspirant in the Asante Mampong constituency, Benjamin Arthur has petitioned the party to annul the parliamentary primary held in the area last week and cause a re-run of the election.

According to him, the Photo Album/Register used in the conduct of the primaries was in violation of Articles 34 and 39(f) of the Rules and Regulations and he had petitioned on this matter at various levels when it first came to light of the removal and replacement of certain delegates in the register.

In his petition addressed to the National Executive Committee, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Elections & Vetting Committee, Mr Benjamin Arthur said: “Hon. Addai Nimo (an aspirant) also petitioned on the same matter but was never attended to. Some affected polling station executives who were removed from the album also petitioned but were never heard (see copies of previous petitions). As of the voting day, two of the aspirants (myself and Hon. Addai Nimo) did not know who the council of elders and patrons were. Persistent requests for the original album and the list of council of elders and patron fell on deaf ears.”

Below is his petition

THE CHAIRMAN
(NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)
&THE CHAIRMAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS &
VETTING COMMITTEE
NPP, HEADQUARTERS, ACCRA THROUGH GENERAL SECRETARY NPP HEADQUARTERS, ACCRA
Attn: Mr. John Boadu
Dear Sir,

PETITION FOR THE ANNULMENT OF THE RESULTS OF THE MAMPONG PARLIAMENTARY
PRIMARIES AND THE RE-RUN OF SAME

1. I write in line with Article 8 of the Constitution of the New Patriotic Party and in accordance with section 15 of the ‘Guidelines and Modalities for the Parliamentary Primaries’ to protest the results and to ask for the re-run of the primaries due to the following reasons:

2. The Photo Album/Register used in the conduct of the primaries was in violation of Articles 34 and 39(f) of the Rules and Regulations. I had petitioned on this matter at various levels when it first came to light of the removal and replacement of certain delegates in the register.

Hon. Addai Nimo (an aspirant) also petitioned on the same matter but was never attended to. Some affected polling station executives who were removed from the album also petitioned but were never heard (see copies of previous petitions). As of the voting day, two of the aspirants (myself and Hon. Addai Nimo) did not know who the council of elders and patrons were. Persistent requests for the original album and the list of council of elders and patron fell on deaf ears.



3. On Monday 8th of June 2020, I and Hon. Addai Nimo came to the Headquarters to meet the General Secretary. Unfortunately, he was not around so we met the National 1st Vice. She made arrangements for us to meet the General Secretary on Saturday 13th June 2020 to resolve the matter. On the said date I met the General Secretary and Ashanti Regional Chairman at about 3:30pm at the residence of the Regional Chairman. During deliberations, the General Secretary instructed the Regional Chairman to ensure that all the aspirants, the election committee chairman and constituency chairman and secretary met to effect the necessary corrections before the elections. The Regional Chairman assured us of the necessary steps to take but failed to do so.

4. On Tuesday 16th June 2020, the MCE called a meeting involving the Municipal Security Council Members all aspirants, the NPP Constituency Election Committee Members and the Municipal Electoral Commission Officer (M/ECO). During such meeting, concerns on the album and the biasedness of four (4) members of the Elections Committee were again raised by me and Hon. Addai Nimo. There was the assurance that the right album will be used and that we should wait for the album being brought from National (John Boadu) for exhibition and comments.

5. On Thursdays 18th June 2020, upon seeing that the wrong album will be coming from the Ashanti Regional Secretariat, I instructed my Lawyers to serve notice to the Regional Secretary, Constituency Secretariat and Elections Committee and the M/ECO warning that if the elections were held with those unqualified names included in the album I would reject the results and have the right to go to court (See Attachment).

6. Surprisingly, on the day of voting, the same Regional Secretary who had deliberately ignored various calls to sanitize the register and to replace the biased election committee members was found moving up and down in the constituency giving orders for those challenged to vote.But for the timely restraint of my supporters, there would have been bloodshed in areas where unqualified voters were allowed to vote.

7. The involvement of the unqualified voters significantly affected the results of the primaries.

8. Several calls and petitions to replace the 4 biased Committee members was also ignored.



9. In the morning of the voting day, the EC officials, in connivance with the incumbent prevented most of my agents from getting close to the inner perimeter of the voting premises despite agreeing to all the various protocols on agent’s accreditation. Within the first 1 and half hours of voting, the incumbent intimidated most of the voters present compelling them to take photos/videos of how they voted (videos available). This intimidated lots of the voters contrary to the guidelines for the elections.

10.Even after the voting, the incumbent and his team had gone for the ballot papers from the EC, made copies and are roaming asking those who voted for me and Hon. Addai Nimo to return all the monies he paid to them. This has been possible because the EC officials wrote the serial numbers and the initials of voters at the back of the ballot papers.
11. I was also an aspirant in the June 15, 2015 primaries in Mampong, lost but conceded defeat and supported the winner.

12. Wherefore, I pray for the annulment and re-run of the primaries due to the injustice, unfair treatment meted out to me and the blatant violation of the rules and regulations meant for running the primaries.

Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
(Contestant & National Patron)
CC: The Chairman, National Executive Committee
The Chairman, Parliamentary Vetting Committee
The Directors, Elections/Research, HQ Accra
Chair, Conflict and Reconciliation Committee
Chairman, Ashanti Region
Secretary, Ashanti Region
Chairman CPEC