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The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has annulled the parliamentary election results for Dome Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, and Ablekuma North. The decision stems from procedural violations and threats directed at EC staff during the collation process.
Reasons for Nullification
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, December 19, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa provided details about the irregularities. She stated that the results for Okaikwei Central and Ablekuma North were declared without proper collation, leaving out significant portions of polling station data.
“In the case of Okaikwei Central, the winner was declared without collating results from 31 polling stations. In the case of Ablekuma North, a winner was declared without collating results from 62 polling stations,” she said.
Jean Mensa emphasized that such actions undermine the integrity of the electoral process. “This is unacceptable. The declarations were made under threats, and the Commission considers these as illegal. Those declarations similar in other constituencies will not be upheld.”
The EC revealed that out of 12 constituencies flagged for re-collation, only Suhum, Akwatia, and Fanteakwa North have had their processes successfully completed. However, the results for Okaikwei Central and Ablekuma North remain unresolved due to these irregularities.
Background
The collation process in several constituencies, including Dome Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, and Tema Central, was fraught with violence and unrest. Efforts to relocate collation activities to the Police Training School met resistance, with disputes arising over how results were aggregated and delegated.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has opposed the EC’s re-collation efforts, arguing that results declared at polling stations should remain final.
Despite the challenges, the EC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring transparency and accuracy in the electoral process. The nullification of these results adds to the tension surrounding parliamentary elections in these contentious constituencies.
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