A presidential candidate from the Tertiary Students Confederation of the New Patriotic Party (TESCON), Kwasi Sarfo, has raised concerns about voting irregularities in the recent Tescon presidential election.
He claimed that certain party members encountered issues with the voting link while attempting to cast their ballots in support of his candidacy.
TESCON is the tertiary student wing of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana. It is a vibrant and influential organization with a large membership base. The TESCON presidential election is one of the most important elections in the party’s calendar, as the winner goes on to represent the students in the NPP’s national leadership.
In a letter dated 30th October, 2023, Sarfo’s team mentioned that the voting system was tempered with. Further highlighting how this affected the perceived validity of votes cast for him.
“We, the team of Kwasi Sarfo, have evidence to support the claims of tampering with the online voting system. This includes screenshots and screen recordings that show irregularities in the voting process.”
” For instance, some voters have reported that when they attempt to submit their votes after voting for our candidate, they receive a notification that says ‘no vote’. This is an indication that the system has been manipulated to favor a particular candidate.”
Sarfo has alleged that he has received numerous complaints from his supporters who were unable to vote because the voting link was not working.
He has also claimed that some of his supporters who were able to vote were given error messages when they tried to submit their ballots.
“When they vote for me, the vote comes as no vote.”
In response, the Deputy Electoral Commissioner (EC) of the party, Samuel Yeboah, has dismissed Sarfo’s allegations as unfounded. He has assured that the voting process was conducted fairly and transparently, and that there is no evidence to suggest that Sarfo’s supporters were disenfranchised.
In an interview with Univers News, Samuel Yeboah admitted that concerns were raised by some aspirants about their votes turning up invalid.
He also stated that he personally experienced the problem by trying the link himself but mentioned that the issue was eventually resolved.
Despite Yeboah’s assurances, Sarfo has stated that his team is working on this issue before the results are accepted or rejected.
He has vowed to pursue the matter further and has said that he will not rest until he is satisfied that the allegations of voting irregularities have been thoroughly investigated.
The allegations of voting irregularities in the TESCON presidential election have cast a shadow over the results.
It remains to be seen whether Sarfo’s allegations will be substantiated, or whether Yeboah’s assurances of a fair and transparent election will prove to be true.
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Story by: Muntari Marfu-atu Meinasara | univers.ug.edu.gh
