Lord Inusah Lansah (middle) addressing the media
The campaign team of the Chief of Agric Nsima, Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo, is demanding the Electoral Commission (EC) to declare their candidate the winner of the Council of State election in the Ashanti Region.
The election of the region’s representative to the Council of State turned chaotic when some machomen out of nowhere came to the election grounds and disrupted the process, destroying ballot papers and boxes.
Addressing the media on the happenings of the elections at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) yesterday, the campaign team of the Nsima Chief expressed surprise over the actions of the thugs and accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of being behind the attack.
The immediate Municipal Chief Executive of the Tafo Pankrono Municipality, Lord Innusah Lansah, who addressed the media claimed that his candidate, Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo won the election and appealed to the EC to declare him the winner.
“In total, we had about 86 people who were supposed to vote, and all of them came to exercise their franchise. So after sorting, counting was underway and it was up to 47th count for Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo when the machomen ransacked the entire process, vandalizing the ballot boxes and tearing up the ballot paper,” he narrated.
“The rules were that without accreditation, no one was going to be given the chance to enter the premises. We saw machomen numbering close to about 200 at the premises without accreditation, and it was as if they were even conducting the election.”
He continued, “our opponent, having realised Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo had gotten 47 and was going to be declared the winner, these thugs stormed the premises to cause commotion in the full glare of the police on duty.”
“To our surprise we had a lot of policemen and women at the scene but they (the thugs) were able to overcome them (police) to do what they came to do like we witnessed in the general elections.
Mr. Lansah stated, “I think they have started vetting people who are vying for the Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), they will come and meet us at the local level. If this simple exercise could not be done, how do you expect us to sit down and confirm your nominees?”
*Medical Bills Of Assaulted Journalists*
Mr. Lansah disclosed that Nana Nkansah Boadu has given the assurance that he will contact all the journalists assaulted and pay their hospital bills.
Five journalists who were filming the incident for their reports were beaten to pulp. The victims are Gideon Nana Peprah, GhanaWeb, Akwasi Oppong, Angel FM, Kofi Adade, Oyerepa Radio/TV, Henry Kotei Henry, Oseikrom Dawuro newspaper, and Charles Awuah Mensah alias Papa That, Lawson FM/TV.
They were attacked in the presence of the police while the ballot papers were being sorted and counted by electoral officers.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi