Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, Patrick Boamah, Charles Forson confirmed MPs-Elect

Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, Patrick Yaw Boamah, and Charles Forson of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been confirmed as Members of Parliament (MPs)-elect for Techiman South, Okaikwei Central, and Tema Central, respectively. This follows a series of court-mandated collation exercises aimed at finalising outstanding election results.

Details of the Rulings

In Techiman South, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah retained his seat with 46,663 votes, defeating Christopher Bayere Basongti of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who garnered 43,429 votes. The collation was conducted at the Electoral Commission's (EC) regional office in Accra, following a High Court directive.

For Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah secured victory with 21,099 votes, surpassing Baba Sadiq of the NDC, who polled 19,368 votes. The declaration was made after the EC completed the collation of missing results from 31 polling stations.

In Tema Central, Charles Forson was confirmed as the winner after a recount of two outstanding polling stations. Forson received 18,870 votes, narrowly edging out Ebi Bright of the NDC, who polled 18,815 votes, while Frederick Aniagyei secured 209 votes. The total valid votes stood at 37,894, with 144 rejected ballots.

Background and Context

The High Court’s rulings followed mandamus applications filed by NPP candidates to compel the EC to complete collation processes in several constituencies, including Ablekuma North. Justice Forson Agyapong, who presided over the cases, outlined the legal grounds for the applications, citing the EC's failure to fulfil its statutory duties.

In Okaikwei Central, results from only 110 out of 141 polling stations had been declared, while Techiman South saw incomplete results from 135 out of 282 polling stations. Similarly, Ablekuma North’s results excluded 62 out of 281 polling stations, and Tema Central’s collation omitted two polling stations.

The EC attributed some of these delays to threats against its staff and operational challenges during the collation processes.

Legal and Electoral Implications

Justice Agyapong emphasised that the EC must adhere to electoral laws and ensure that all polling station results are accounted for before making final declarations. He stressed that only declarations made by the returning officer are legally valid.

The court also ordered the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo-Dampare, to provide security during the collation exercises to ensure a peaceful process.

These rulings underscore the High Court’s role in upholding electoral transparency and fairness. The confirmation of MPs-elect in these constituencies restores confidence in the democratic process, ensuring that every vote is duly accounted for in the final results.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has initiated processes to appeal the High Court's ruling, describing it as erroneous. The opposition party, which is set to form the incoming government, asserts that its candidates were the rightful winners in the aforementioned constituencies.

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