The Walewale Constituency executive of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have officially lodged a complaint with the police to investigate the circumstances under which the running mate of the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, invited two officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) to his residence at Walewale in the West Mamprusi District in the Northern Region for him to verify his name on the voters register.
The two EC officials, identified as Jobe Ambrose and Mumuni Latiafa, who were polling station officers in Walewale, have since been dismissed by the commission for moving the exhibition centre to a house at Walewale said to be the residence of Dr. Bawumia for him to check his name on the register, which according to the EC was against the regulations governing the exercise.
Police
The Walewale District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sarpong Bempah, when contacted by the Daily Graphic, confirmed that some executive members of the NDC in the constituency last week filed a complaint on the matter for the police to investigate but could not give details as he directed the Daily Graphic to contact the Regional Crime Office for details.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Northern Regional Crime Officer, DSP John Anane, he confirmed that his outfit was investigating such a matter but could not give further details.
However, sources close to the police indicated that the NDC constituency executive wanted the police to investigate how Dr. Bawumia was able to ask the two electoral officers to go to his residence for him to verify his name which was against the electoral laws of the country.
EC
Since the issue broke, the Deputy Northern Regional Director of the EC, who supervised the Walewale District in the exhibition exercise, Mr. Benjamin Bamubio, had explained that the two officers were dismissed for moving the exhibition centre to a house in Walewale for the exercise which was against the regulations of the exercise.
According to Mr. Bamubio, all exhibition centres for the exercise were supposed to be stationary or should be at a permanent place and therefore the action of the two officers were in violation of the conduct of the exercise.
NDC’s position
The Northern Regional NDC Director of Elections, Mr. Tanko Rashid Computer, told the Daily Graphic it was the regional executive of the party that directed the Walewale Constituency executive to lodge a complaint with the police for them to investigate the matter, since what Dr. Bawumia did was against the electoral laws of the country.
He added that Dr. Bawumia was not above the law and therefore there was a need for the police to conduct thorough investigations into the matter to find out the circumstances that led to the two dismissed officers sending the register to the NPP running mate’s residence for him to verify his name on the register.
NPP rebuttal
However, since the matter came into the public domain, the Walewale Constituency executive of the NPP have issued a statement to deny the matter.
A statement signed by the Walewale Constituency Secretary of the NPP, Simon Ali, said Dr Bawumia was not verified in his residence but rather moved out to be verified as the process demanded and that this latest accusation was yet another scheme by the NDC against Dr. Bawumia, and which, like all the earlier ones, has failed.
Background
It would be recalled that news broke last Tuesday, July 26, 2016, that two polling station officers of the EC at Walewale, identified as Jobe Ambrose and Mumuni Latiafa have been sacked for moving the exhibition centre to a house at Walewale said to be the residence of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for him to check his name and other details on the register, which are against the regulations governing the exercise.
