Juaso (Ash), Feb. 21, GNA – The Asante-Akim South Constituency of the New Patriotic Party has described a demonstration by some supporters of the party over nomination forms for the up-coming polling station elections on Friday as needless.
Hundreds of aspirants besieged the residences of the Constituency Chairman, Mr. Gilbert Adarkwa Yiadom and the Municipal Chief Executives (MCE), Mr Alexander Frimpong, to protest their inability to access the forms.
They accused the constituency executives of deliberately denying them access to the forms in order to manipulate the elections in favour of their preferred candidates.
However, Mr Adams Yusif, the Constituency Communication Officer of the Party, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the people had no business embarking on the demonstration.
He said the party office was opened to all members who were interested in contesting and that no one was denied the forms.
“Some of the demonstrators had already been issued forms yet they still embarked on demonstration so we believe they have their own motive for staging the demonstration,” he stated.
He said apart from serving those who rushed to the party office for their forms, the leadership also sent some of the forms to most of the 146 polling stations for the convenience of those who were not closer to the capital.
He said the Constituency received 2,400 forms from the Regional Office and had so far issued all through a transparent process devoid of discrimination.
The Communication Officer, therefore, entreated the public to disregard allegations that the executives were hoarding the forms for their favourite candidates.
He said if the Constituency received additional forms from the Region, they would be made available to interested candidates in all the polling stations.
The leadership, he noted, was committed to ensuring a peaceful election and encouraged all aspirants to adhere to the rules governing the election in the interest of party unity.
Meanwhile, reports from some constituencies in the Ashanti region indicate rising tension over the issuance of the nominations forms.
Constituencies such as the Manhyia north, Kwadaso, Atwima-Kwanwoma, Asante Mampong, Ejisu, Asante Akim north, Kwabre East among others, have already experience some form of agitations by party members over the nominations over the weekend.
The party members accused the constituency executives and the election officers of deliberately denying some people access to the forms.
The aggrieved party members called on the regional and national leadership of the party to call on those involved to help avoid division in the party at the grassroot level.
GNA