Presidential candidate of the University of Ghana, Accra City campus, Onwona Kingsley Kwaw has said that there weren’t adequate measures put in place by the electoral commissioners to resolve issues of students not receiving their voting links during the first election conducted by the electoral commissioner.
This comes at the back of the judicial board of the University of Ghana, Accra City Campus authorizing the electoral commissioner to conduct a re- election following the petition sent by concerned students of the school saying most students were disenfranchised during the election and therefore sought for remedies in an interlocutory application.
Speaking on campus exclusive, Kingsley Kwaw said he believes elections were not conducted in a free and fair manner.
We realized that a lot of students were not receiving the links and we made that complain to the EC and he came up with some strategies to resolve it and all that which did not seem much really sufficient to us. He created a group on WhatsApp to ask those who have not received the link to put their ID numbers there and to me I was like no. How would you be able to reach all this Students to be able to get their ID numbers to send them the link and to me it is not fair.
He said following the order for a re-election, the electoral commissions have not communicated any processes in that regard.
It has been about 10 days now since the ruling and then constitutionally it is supposed to be within 7days so in essence we are lacking 3days and we are 3days behind. This is not done and I mean I think it is not in the right direction.
Kingsley Kwaw, therefore called on the electoral commissioner to abide by the constitutional instrument to resolve all issues about the election as soon as possible.
Judicial board in their own wisdom, integrity realized that this is the right cause of action to be done and I think that they have the right to appeal, the have the right to send whoever they want to send which is right. But I think that the EC needs to abide by what the judicial board is saying.
Meanwhile, some Petitioners opposed each other views on the first election results which they believe most students were not happy of the outcome.
When they’re saying there was malpractice and function and all. Do they have the prove or can they gave us the basis for that because you see the petition they sent, I don’t know the basis and I don’t know the importance in it and so if they can bring up I will be fine with that. They have to accept it, those who won the election let give it to them let give them the platform. ,One of the petitioners Frederick Owusu mentioned.
However, Dennis Boakye Yiadom who petitioned the judicial board advocated for the right for all students to vote in the election.
It is quite unfortunate Frederick delivery, because I’m not for any party of the Candidates but I’m representing the voice of the people who were disenfranchised for that matter. Let me state it categorically that this election wasn’t a delegate election and it is not in the power of the electoral commissioner to denied somebody the right to vote.
University of Ghana, Accra City Campus is expected to conduct a re – election but the new date has not been communicated yet.
