The Electoral Commission has asked the general public to disregard a video circulating on social media, depicting a gentleman declaring results of the just ended New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries in the Yendi Constituency in favour of the incumbent.
The Commission said it was impossible for the Presiding Officer to complete the collation and declare the results for the election held on January 27.
“The Electoral Commission wishes to inform the General Public that, it has not declared results for the Yendi Constituency in the just end NPP Parliamentary elections,” a press release signed by the Acting Director of Public Affairs, Michael Boadu said.
According to the Commission, “Seven hundred and Eighty-Five (785) voters voted, out of Seven hundred and Ninety-Four (794) register. voters. The counting of ballots for the incumbent, Hon. Farouk Aliu Mahama, was disrupted when the Presiding Officer had counted Two hundred and Ninety-Six (296) votes in his favor. Unfortunately, the destruction of Four hundred and Eighty-Nine (489) ballots which remained to be counted, made it impossible for the Presiding Officer to complete the collation and declare the results.”
“The Commission therefore disassociates itself from the declaration,” the press release concluded.
Despite all results being declared for the just ended NPP primaries, elections in the Yendi constituency was fraught with some disturbances after some delegates snatched the ballot box and torn ballot papers ready to be counted.
Some delegates and supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the Yendi Constituency have urged the national executives of the party to nullify the parliamentary primary for the Constituency held on Saturday January 27.
According to them, the declaration of the result by the party executives was illegal and undemocratic since the result was not collated by officials of the Electoral Commission.
Confusion ensued between supporters of Farouk Aliu Mahama and Shani Abibata Mahama during the counting of ballot papers leading to an abrupt end of the process.
But later, National third vice chairman of the party Alhaji Masawudu Osman declared Farouk Aliu Mahama as the candidate elect.
This declaration is what the EC has called for the general public to disregard. The party is yet to announce plans to address the impasse in Yendi primaries.