Approval of Ministers: NDC MP pushes for cancellation of election result

The Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, Yusif Sulemana is pushing for an annulment of the results of the elections that approved the six ministerial nominees in Parliament last Friday.

This comes after Second Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament for Fomena Andrew Asiamah Amoako raised issues against some National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers for allegedly taking pictures of how they voted.

Mr Asiamah Amoako said the action was wrong.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, March 28, he said “I am not saying this to spite anybody but bringing this to the attention of all of us so that we may refrain from this act. If we are voting yes, let the yes be in our hearts that we voted yes. If we are voting No, let nobody know that you are voting No.

“It is not just a matter of taking pictures and videos of and showing it to the world just to prove a point that this is the way you voted. To me is not the best for this country.”

But responding to him, the Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi Yusif Sulemana said if there was any evidence that someone took pictures of the voting, then that should nullify the results because the polls were supposed to have been secret.

“To the best of my knowledge the elections were conducted in secrecy but if there is any evidence to suggest that it wasn’t done in secrecy, what it means is that the results of the elections could be null and void. If he has evidence, what do we do? He should bring it out and then the results can be canceled and then we do the rightful thing.

“Having said this I also want to add that going forward the House needs to do some standards as to how to conduct elections in this House.”

The NDC MPs received fak from its members and other Ghanaians after it turn out that a good number of them voted in approval of the nominees

For instance, Former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah has said the MPs put up a disastrous performance in Parliament.

He said the opposition lawmakers did not only betray their supporters, but they also destroyed the hopes of many Ghanaians.

Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Tuesday, March 28, he said “They have a herculean task going forward from the disastrous performance that their MPs showed in Parliament. I think that they did not only betray the NDC but they inflated the hopes of many Ghanaians.

“If NDC decided that they were going to support the approval of these Ministers nobody would have raised an eyebrow but you gave the impression that you were united behind the opposition of the Ministers and then when you lifted people’s hopes, and dampen their hopes. It is a problem.”

The NDC condemned the decision by some of its members of Parliament (MPs) to throw principle to the wind and pursue their parochial interest by voting for the six ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.The party said the action of these renegade MPs only betrays the express will of the NDC and “constitutes a massive stab in the back of the good people of Ghana”.

The party said members, particularly leadership of the Caucus, who stayed true to the principles of the party must be highly commended.

“We will stop at nothing to identify them and publicly laud them in due course,” said a statement issued by the General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.

The Speaker, Alban Bagbin after the ballot on Friday March 24 said “Honourable Members, at long last collation of votes has ended. Of the register of 275 eligible voters, 3 voters were absent so 272 did exercise their franchise. The results of the voting are as follows; Honorable KT Hammond 154 Yes, 116 Nos, rejected 1, Bryan Acheampong, 167 Yes, 98 Nos, rejected 4, abstention 3. Stephen Asamoah Boateng 147 Yes, 122 Nos, 3 abstentions. Mohammed Amin Adams 152 Yes, 117 Nos, rejected 1, abstentions 2. Osei Bonsu Amoah 149 Yes, 120 Nos, abstentions 3, Stephen Amoah 146 yes, 123 nos, 3 absentions.”

“The House has accordingly approved the nominations of the following persons as ministers and a deputy minister in accordance with 79(1) of the constitution.”