General News of Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Source: Joy Online

NPP supporters divided over Akufo-Addo going to court

Supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) living in party stronghold Kumasi are divided over whether party leadership should go to court over alleged electoral fraud.

The party’s 2012 flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo is yet to accept defeat in Friday’s polls.

According to former President John Kufuor, Nana Akufo-Addo felt cheated by the election’s outcome.

The party is considering a variety of options, including seeking legal redress in court.

Party executives will meet Tuesday to decide on the next line of action now that the Electoral Commission Chairman declared the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) John Mahama President-elect in spite of NPP claims that the election was rigged.

But some party supporters think that going to court would not ultimately serve the party’s interests, Luv FM’s Erastus Donkor reports.

He said those opposing court action have called it unnecessary and encouraged the party to rather concentrate on strategising for the 2016 general elections.

Others, however, have argued that to serve the interests of the party and its supporters, the party must go to court.

They said that the outcome of the court's decision would inform subsequent elections in the country.

Some party supporters are also blaming the party agents assigned to the polling stations and collation centres for not being vigilant. Otherwise, they say, polling figures could not have been doctored.

“I want them to go to court including our agents who failed us after collecting money and did a miserable thing for us,” one of the aggrieved supporters said.

Meanwhile, Joy News’ Michaela Anderson reports that heavily armed military personnel have cordoned off the Independence Square, where NPP supporters are expected to converge as they launch their protest.