EC Ballot Boxes Set On Fire At Kwashieman School

 

The Kwashieman Cluster of Schools located in the Ablekuma North Constituency was on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, set on fire by some unknown persons.

According to the Ghana Police Service, the fire outbreak which occurred in the early hours of yesterday destroyed several ballot boxes used for the December 7 elections in the constituency.

The school housed the ballot boxes for the Ablekuma North Constituency.

While the perpetrators are yet to be discovered, the police have assured the public that individuals or groups found responsible for the incident will be apprehended and held accountable.

The police further urged the school management and students to remain calm as the service, together with the Ghana National Fire Service investigate the fire outbreak, identify the perpetrators, and bring them to book.

This statement of assurance issued by the Public Affairs Directorate of the Police Service added that 132 suspects arrested nationwide in connection with post-election disturbances are undergoing legal proceedings.

Among these, 45 suspects have been remanded into custody, 71 are on police enquiry bail, and 16 are on court bail.

Constituency Results Dispute

Many have attributed the burning of the ballot boxes at the school to the misunderstanding between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates.

The Ablekuma North is among the 12 disputed constituencies across the country, as the outcome of the parliamentary election remains under contention and a recount has been ordered.

The NPP’s candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, and the NDC’s candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, have both claimed victory in the election, despite the Electoral Commission (EC) initially declaring the seat for the NDC candidate.

Following this, the EC has since reversed its declaration, calling the declaration illegal and announcing plans to conduct a re-collation exercise for the constituency.

From the camp of Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, the 2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Ablekuma North Constituency claimed to have retained the parliamentary seat for the NPP in the parliamentary elections with 414 vote difference.

According to them, data collated from all the 281 polling stations in the Ablekuma North Constituency reveals that, Akua Afriyie of the NPP polled a total of 34,613 votes to beat her main contender, Ewurabena Aubynn, the NDC parliamentary candidate for the constituency, who polled 34,199 votes.

Ewurabena Aubynn, on the other hand, confidently declared herself the elected Member of Parliament for the Ablekuma North Constituency.

She stressed that her declaration was conducted through the proper legal channels, with the Electoral Commission’s authorised officials officially declaring her the winner of the recently concluded parliamentary elections.

“I assure all voters who entrusted me with their support that their votes will be protected,” she stated. “We will resist any attempts by the Electoral Commission to alter the will of the people.

“The NDC has won the Ablekuma North seat, and no one can change that. On January 7, I will be sworn in as the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North, and nothing will change that,” she added.

Peace Council

The National Peace Council (NPC) has condemned the destruction of offices and the looting of warehouses in parts of the country by some irate youth.

A statement issued by the council said it was aware of reports of the destruction of offices and looting of warehouses related to the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections at a number of locations.

“We are saddened by every incident of electoral violence and strongly condemn them. Each of our 16 Regional Peace Council (RPC) offices is working on the ground to restore peace across all regions of the nation,” the statement said.

By Prince Fiifi Yorke 

 

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