NPP supporters besiege Electoral Commission headquarters

Hundreds of supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are marching to the Electoral Commission (EC), but security is being beefed up to prevent trouble.

The supporters, dressed in their party T-shirts and holding party paraphernalia, are waving branches of trees and shouting “we want peace, we want peace”as they march along.

Reinforcements of security officers are being sent to the EC’s offices which have, meanwhile, been cordoned off.

The march started after the NPP Chairman, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, held a press conference claiming that the party had evidence of manipulation of results.

He said tens of thousands of votes had been added to the numbers of President John Dramani Mahama following collusion between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and EC officials.

Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, General Secretary of NPP, on Saturday night addressed the press in Accra saying the party had won the elections and asked its supporters to get ready for a massive jubilation on Sunday.

He said statistics compiled at the NPP collation centre, indicated that the party’s Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, had won the election with 51.3 per cent as against 45.50 per cent for NDC Presidential Candidate john Dramani Mahama.

The National Peace Council (NPC), however, condemned the NPP statement Saturday night at a press conference in Accra.

Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, Chairman of the NPC, described the NPP’s statement as premature and inconsistent with the law which only mandated the EC to declare elections results.

Rev. Prof. Asante called on all political parties to exercise restraint in handling the election results, stressing that it was the sole responsibility of the EC to declare results.

He urged the media to be circumspect in its duties and not allow political parties to use their platforms for such declarations, adding that this could undermine the mandate of the EC.

Source: GNA