The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that the Talensi by-election had not been an easy battle for the party, although there had been diversionary tactics by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against the ruling party.
“Reclaiming the seat was possible because of the hard work, teamwork and a focused sense of purpose which made it possible for the party to ensure that Mr Benson Tongo Baba won the seat,” Mr Kofi Portuphy, the National Chairman of the NDC, said.
Addressing a press conference in Bolgatanga yesterday, he said, “As a party focused on not allowing our political detractors, especially the NPP, to disturb our focused aim of winning the election, we chose not to respond to certain issues in the build-up to the election and during the election.”
Quick reaction
But, in a quick reaction, the NPP said the NDC’s accusation of the NPP as using diversionary tactics “is an attempt to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians”.
Reacting to the accusations, the Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea, asked: “On what basis is the NDC saying that the NPP used diversionary tactics when the numerous attacks against some leaders of the NPP were aired on UTV and other electronic media? Is the NDC now saying the NPP bribed all the electronic media to carry out false news?”
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, he quipped further: “Why would the People’s National Convention (PNC) sue the Electoral Commission in court over happenings in Talensi?”
Mr Portuphy
However, Mr Portuphy maintained that for very lawless reasons, the NPP decided to mass up in front of its office on the main Winkogo Junction-Tongo road, mounted an illegal roadblock and started attacking NDC officials and party members with all kinds of dangerous weapons, including machetes and guns, leading to injuries and the destruction of vehicles.
He said not less than four vehicles belonging to NDC officials were shot at and destroyed by the NPP thugs and hoodlums.
“Indeed, a Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Koku Anyidoho, whose convoy was nearly ambushed in front of the NPP office, lodged a complaint at the Talensi Police Station after managing to escape,” he added.
He said other NDC members who suffered all kinds of injuries from the unprovoked attacks by the NPP had to be rushed for medical treatment.
Those attacks, according to Mr Portuphy, were launched on the NDC because the NPP was “aware that a massive defeat was looming and so it sought to create confusion and provoke the NDC into lawless conduct and use any such confusion to hide the defeat”.
He explained that a vehicle, with registration number GN 1812-11, that was vandalised in front of the NPP office at Tongo belonged to the Builsa North District Chief Executive, Mr Bonaventure Adangabe, who was not in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
He said there were three occupants, including the driver of the vehicle, who had been sent to town.
No evidence
For his part, Nana Akomea said the NDC had no single evidence to substantiate its claims and, therefore, urged Ghanaians to disregard any statement from the NDC, reports Dominic Moses Awiah.
He said although the party lost the by-election, it was demonstrated clearly that more than half of the voting population in the constituency rejected the NDC.
“If you do simple mathematics and combine the number of votes the NPP got and you add that to that of the PNC, you will realise that more than half of the people rejected the NDC,” he said.
The NDC candidate, Mr Benson Tongo Baba, polled 10,366 votes, with the NPP’s Wuni Thomas and the PNC candidate getting 6,845 and 6,836, respectively.
Organisation of elections
Nana Akomea said although the NPP was content with the organisation of the election at the polling stations and the eventual results, “the party frowns on what transpired outside the voting area”.
“The attacks members and leaders of the party went through show that the NDC does not regard the law,” he said.
According to him, although the NPP occupied the seat before last Tuesday’s election, “the Talensi seat has been for the NDC since 1992”.
“We are, however, confident that based on the turnout during the by-election, the NPP will reclaim the seat in the 2016 elections,” he added.
Source: Graphic.com.gh
