Electoral fraud is a criminal offence, probe Mahama's allegations - NPP tasks IGP

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has supported calls by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the Police Service to investigate the alleged ballot stuffing allegation levelled against the EC by former President John Dramani Mahama.

The NPP says the allegation by Mahama is a criminal offence and must not be swept under the carp[et, hence their support for the matter to be investigated.

Deputy Communications Director of the NPP Richard Nyamah addressing a press conference on Friday, October 29, 2021, said it would be in the interest of Ghanaians for the matter to be investigated.

The EC on Monday called on the Police to investigate claims made by the former President that the commission thumb printed one million ballot papers to favour President Nana Addo Dankwa in the 2020 presidential election.

At the "Let the Citizens Know" series, the EC described the claim by the former President as “false and untrue” and stressed that it was in the public interest for the police to initiate a full-scale investigation that would require Mr Mahama to provide evidence to the claim he made.

The Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Eric Bossman Asare, who addressed the media, said: "The former President has said the EC thumb printed one million ballot papers for the President of the Republic. This is untrue, and it is a great matter that undermines the credibility of the electoral system and should not be ignored.

“We see that our silence on this matter has dire consequences on public confidence in the Commission, and we want the police to investigate it,” he added.

Mr. Nyamah responding to the issue, said, ”it is a criminal offence for the EC to be engaged in fraud. We admonish the IGP to investigate the matter.

"If Mr. Mahama has the evidence, then IGP must take the steps in investigating the matter immediately. The NPP is in support of the call by the EC. Mahama must be invited so he will present his evidence.”

He said President Akufo-Addo does not want to be a ”stolen verdict President, and so the issue must be probed,” he stressed.