Ex-MP fights on to change election outcome

The 2012 parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ahafo Ano North, Richard Akuoko Adiyia is making progress in court in his bid to alter the outcome of the parliamentary results.

The High Court in Kumasi dismissed a petition filed by a respondent in the case, Akwasi Adusei, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate who prayed the court to dismiss Akuoko Adiyia’s petition.

The court, presided over Justice Robin Bantu, has also granted the NPP candidate’s application to amend his petition.

The NPP candidate, who is the immediate-past Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo Ano North, lost narrowly to the NDC candidate, Adusei Akwasi in the last polls.

The former MP for Ahafo Ano North insisted that many irregularities characterized the elections which significantly affected the outcome of the elections.

Per the results declared by the Electoral Commission (EC), a respondent in the case, Akwasi Adusei of the NDC polled 18.841, representing 50.02% as against 18,418, representing 48.89% obtained by Akuoko Adiyia.

According to his calculations, which he forwarded to the court, 5,810 and 3,296 votes would be annulled from the total votes garnered by the candidates.

47 votes obtained by Joseph Akpali Kwadwo of the CPP would be annulled whilst 51 of Owusu Ansah of the NDP would also be annulled.

After this, Akuoko would gain 15,122, representing 53.12% followed by Akwasi Adusei of the NDC with 13,031, which is 45.78%.

Joseph Akpali Kwadwo of the CPP would then get 145 votes, representing 0.51% with Owusu Ansah of the NDP gaining 167 votes, representing 0.59%.

If the correct thing is done, 37,669 valid votes declared by the EC would be reduced to 28,465, he said.