The use mechanizations and underhand dealings are rearing their ugly heads at the Knutsford University College”s recently held Students’ Representative Council election with Mr. Francis Eric Donkoh been the popular and preferred choice of the entire student body. His arch rival Mr. Clement Lawson who trailed Mr. Francis Donkoh with twelve (12) solid votes is crying foul with no justification. It appears there are some faceless financier and some elements of arm twisting to ensure that Mr. Francis Donkoh does take up his God given position in the elections after defeating his opponent. He garnered 294 votes against 282 vote making him the legitimate winner.
The facts of the case are that it was earlier that on Friday the 8th of April 2022 it was that regular students and evening students of Knutsford University College will cast their votes and the votes when cast will be collected to be kept in an envelope and sealed till the following day for the weekend students to also cast their votes, and so on Saturday the 9th of April the weekend students successfully cast their votes.
The votes of both regular evening and weekend students were then collated brought together and counted giving Mr. Francis Donkoh a commanding lead over his opponent Mr. Clement Lawson. Allegations were rife during the electoral process that some students who turned out to vote were given double ballots to cast their vote. A student who wants to remain unnamed said: ‘I can tell you that many of us were given double or triple ballot papers but it appears those issuing the ballot papers did not know who they were dealing with’.
During the counting of ballot papers there were attempts by some unscrupulous persons to switch of the main lighting system of the hall where the counting was been carried out but the vigilance of some well meaning students prevented that from happening and that went a long way to save the situation.
In all electoral processes there are situations that call for compromises. For instance we all know that elections are often held in a particular day but a ‘gentleman’ agreement was reached among all the candidates at Knutsford University and it was that the process should run for regular students on Friday and weekend students for Saturday. Many are wondering why there are some especially the losing candidate are crying foul after genuinely losing in a well-organized election like the one at University of Knutsford recently.
There are speculations that some faceless financiers of the electoral process of the recently held elections at Knutsford are not happy with the turn of events which saw Mr. Francis Donkoh as the winner of the SRC and are bent on doing anything they deem fit to reverse his victory.
Democracy at all levels is about choice and the choice of the people must be respected as in the case of Mr. Francis Donkoh been declared the winner of the SRC presidential election. Again it must be reiterated that in every democratic process there are channels available for grievances in the case of any loser not happy with his or her loss he or she can resort to the law courts for redress.
Anything outside these constitutionally acceptable channels will lead to nothing but chaos and in an institutions meant for teaching and learning it is not in the least thinkable that a losing candidate will resort to violence to solve a problem.
We call on Mr. Clement Lawson and supporters to eat a humble pie and accept defeat in good faith so that together University of Knutsford will be built to be the strongest learning institution and be among the best universities in the country.
We will end by quoting Plato: ‘Mankind will never see an end of trouble until lovers of wisdom come to hold political power, or the holders of power become lovers of wisdom’
WITHOUT ANY CONTROVERSY MR FRANCIS DONKOH HAS CARRIED THE AS KNUTSFORD SRC PRESIDENT
