POLITICS

Balloting Process: Otokunor’s Rigging Allegation Against EC Fatuous – John Boadu Jabs

Claims by the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Boamah Otokunor that the Electoral Commission (EC) planned to gift a certain position on the ballot paper in this year’s election to the ruling party as not only absurd, but risible.

To John Boadu, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), however, the opposition party’s assertion does not come to him as a surprise since that appears to be their stock in trade going into the December polls.

Otokunor is reported to have alleged in an interview earlier this week that there was a calculated attempt by the EC to mark the balls which had the favourite number 4 position on it for easy identification by the governing party’s representatives; but that failed to materialise.

The EC is giving us reasons all the time to believe that it is making every effort to favour the ruling NPP to retain power but we are very vigilant….The EC officer handling the balloting process which will determine which party gets to go first to pick a number which will determine a party’s official position on the ballot, helped the NPP to select number 4 and they started saying 4 more for Nana….

“….he again wanted to ensure that the NPP picked the fourth position on the ballot paper and so he decided to carry the balls outside and mark that particular ball with the 4th position but due to the alarm I raised, the EC officer came back confused and couldn’t do it and so the NPP ended up picking the first position on the ballot paper,” he claimed.

But speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, John Boadu rather accused the opposition NDC of kicking against the EC’s attempt to ensure transparency in the balloting process, bearing in mind the need to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols.

Describing the NDC National Executive as a confused politician, he explained how impracticable and ridiculous Otukunor’s claims sounded.

….in one breath he alleges the balloting process was skewed to favour the NPP’s candidate, President Akufo-Addo, whiles in the same vein he asserts our position on the ballot paper will go against us….

“What even makes Otokunor’s allegation extremely fatuous is that the NPP at the first stage picked number 4; what it means is that we will be the fourth political party to have our turn to draw out a number or figure which will be our final position on the ballot paper.

“So, assuming without admitting that the EC has indeed marked one of the balls bearing a particular number for the attention of the NPP, three parties will have the chance to go through the process before it gets to the NPP’s turn…

“and strangely, all the first three party representatives will miss out on that marked ball and the NPP will get to pick it? And what is the guarantee that only the NPP will be lucky enough to draw out that marked ball? How can someone connive to rig a balloting process in such an impracticable manner? How sensible is this? Don’t you think this is absurd for anybody to think that way? What is the sense in this assertion?” he quizzed.

While admitting that there was some form of novelty in this year’s procedure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NPP Chief Scribe was emphatic that the processes leading to the final placement on the ballot paper was very transparent.

Thus for any political party to accuse the electoral body of attempted rigging simply defies logic.

…..in the past, the balloting process was a bit disorderly as it was a first-come-first-serve approach….

“As a result we devise ways of doing it in two stages. The first one is who goes before the others to pick from the bowl…. After that, we then get to the order of drawing out the final placement on the ballot paper”.

“What changed a bit in this year’s process is the Coronavirus pandemic because at first, the EC will place all the numbers in the bowl and then the various political parties will rush to pick which figure or number ensures their position on the ballot paper,” John Boadu explained.

 

 

 

Source: Peacefmonline.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

Related Articles

Back to top button