Islamic Education Teacher files writ against Electoral Commission

Alhaji Swallah Ahmed, an Islamic Education Teacher and contestant for Maamobi East Electoral Area during the September 26 District Level Elections has filed a writ at an Accra High Court against Chairman of the Electoral Commission and three others.

The other defendants are, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the EC, Returning Officer of the Maamobi East Electoral Area and Alhaji Haruna Bukari another contestant in the elections in the area.

In a statement of claim, Alhaji Ahmed is seeking an order from the court that the ballots of seven polling stations in the area should be recounted.

The polling stations are, Falah, Irshad, Western Video, Iran Library, Mosque 66/16, Abdul Aziz and City Plaza.

Other reliefs being sought are to declare results of the Maamobi East Electoral Area null and void for fresh elections to be conducted.

An order to prohibit the EC from declaring Alhaji Bukari as Assemblyman for the area to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

In a writ filed by Nkrabea and Associates in Accra, plaintiff stated that at the close of the polling he went round at the various polling stations and at the United Faith Tabernacle Polling station his attention was drawn to series of malpractices that had taken place.

It said the plaintiff challenged the Presiding Officer at the polling station and demanded a recount of all the votes in that particular station but he refused and directed the plaintiff to the Maamobi East Electoral Area Collation Centre at the Accra Girls Secondary school.

The writ said the plaintiff and the Returning Officer took all the ballot boxes to the Nima Police station where the superior Police Officer upon consultation with the Returning Officer ordered a recount of the United Faith Tabernacle polling station ballot papers.

It said the recount showed the presence of 324 foreign materials which were all declared rejected and then subtracted from the number of votes given to Alhaji Bukari.

The writ said the plaintiff in the light of the revelation, pleaded that a recount should take place in seven other polling stations.

It said the plaintiff was advised to petition the Greater Accra Regional Director of the EC who upon receipt of the petition advised the plaintiff to re-write the petition and give specific names of the polling stations he wanted their votes to be recounted.

The writ said the plaintiff did as was directed and tried to contact the Greater Accra Regional Director of the EC for reaction to no avail and on October 4, this year the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Director of the EC wrote to the plaintiff turning down his petition.

“The plaintiff says that in the light of these glaring malpractices unless the defendants are restrained by the Court, they will go ahead to declare Alhaji Bukari as the victor,” it added.