By Ralph Sesay
The All People’s Congress Party has accused the National Electoral Commission (NEC) of complete incompetence regarding the way they conducted the March 7th polls. They have generally called for a forensic audit of the processes and procedures ahead of the runoff polls slated for the 27th March, 2018.
Addressing the media and party supporters at APC’s Old Railway Office, Ambassador Foday Yansaneh, Secretary General of the party, stated that “Evidences abound to prove that NEC made several clerical errors, which were not logical in the fielding of RRFs. Widespread instances of over voting and issuance of unsigned ballot papers as well as duplication and replacement of RRFs by NEC officials…”, Mr. Yansaneh stated.
The Secretary General disclosed that NEC did admit that irregularities occurred in the conduct of the March 7th polls prior to the announcement of the results. He informed newsmen that as a law abiding party they have brought these anomalies to the attention of NEC on a number of official correspondences.
“The Commission neither acknowledged nor took any action in response to the concerns so raised, but went ahead and announced the final results of the March 7th 2018 polls,” the APC Scribe further stated.
The party has called on NEC to meet certain demands they, as a party, consider useful before the runoff polls. These, according to them, are as follows: a forensic audit of the electoral processes and procedure as a matter of urgency before the conduct of the polls; NEC should give every political party agent, Tamper Evidence Envelope containing signed election result at each polling station; results from regions be manually transferred to NEC tally centre headquarters in a transparent and all inclusive manner; a review of staff in critical areas of the process, including ward coordinators, in-putters, reviewers and tally center managers, amongst others, the release concluded. These concerns, according to the party Secretary General, have already been channeled to the Chief Electoral Commissioner for his attention.
In another development, the Party has dismantled its campaign team, which saw the sacking of the Campaign Chairman, John Sesay, recalling of Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh to the Party Secretariat to help with the campaign.
Kelfala Marrah, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, was sent to serve as Acting Chairman of Falaba District, where the former Chairman was perceived to have performed badly.
Alimamy Petito Koroma was also sent to mobilize the Kambia votes in an area which the NGC made significant in-roads in the March 7th polls. According to close party sources, the Secretariat would handle all campaign matters going forward.
It could be recalled that the Party, which came second in the polls, is trailing behind the main opposition SLPP with 0.6%.
The APC is making these critical changes and demands barely few days to the run off polls. Whether NEC would be able to meet these demands at this nick of time, we are waiting.
Many analysts, who are very familiar with the politics of the APC, have opined that the party has lost all their senses and all these attempts at regrouping would make matters worse for them. The main opposition SLPP and NEC could not be reached to react to the Press release.