EC rejects ‘illegal’ declarations in 9 disputed constituencies; demands re-collation

The Electoral Commission (EC) has rejected the declaration of parliamentary results in nine disputed constituencies, describing them as illegal and in breach of the electoral rules set out in C.I 127.

These constituencies include Nsawam Adoagyiri, Ahafo Ano Southwest, Ahafo Ano North, Obuasi East, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, Techiman South, and Dome Kwabenya.

According to the EC, these results are incomplete and were declared under duress, highlighting the need for re-collation of the parliamentary results before a final declaration.

In a media briefing on Thursday, December 19, the Commission’s Chairperson, Jean Mensa, lamented the threats and attacks on electoral officers in these constituencies, some of which led to the suspension of the collation process and forced declarations.

She stated that the directive by the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for its supporters to besiege the collation centres was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the process and enforce an illegality.

Mensa pointed out:

In the view of the Commission, the directive to supporters to besiege the constituency collation centres was aimed at destroying documentary evidence, such as pin sheets, ballot papers, results, collation forms, and computers, in order to erase and wipe out all documents to be used for the collation.

She further noted that the re-collation of results in these disputed constituencies had been moved to the Tesano Police Training School on Thursday, 12 December, where three results were declared. However, the process had to be suspended after police warned that some party supporters planned to invade the venue.

The Chairperson disclosed that the Commission would not uphold the announced winners in Okaikwei Central, Dome Kwabenya, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, and Obuasi East constituencies.

In Okaikwei Central, 110 polling stations were used to declare a winner instead of 141. The Commission will not uphold that process. In Ablekuma North, 219 polling station results were used to declare a winner instead of 281 polling station results. The Commission will not uphold that declaration.

In Tema Central, the District Officer (DO) was again threatened, and he was forced to declare results using 146 polling stations instead of 148. The Commission will not uphold that declaration.

In Techiman South, in the Bono East Region, the officer, the returning officer, and other staff were physically assaulted and forced to re-declare the results. At that point, it’s important to note that the collation process had not been completed. The Commission will not uphold those processes.

In Dome Kwabenya, there is contention over three polling station results, and the Commission is conducting its own investigation. With the three polling station results, I believe 367 of those results have been duly declared as legitimate. There are three results outstanding, and the Commission is carrying out its own investigation to enable it to take a decision.

She argued that accepting these results would set a “bad precedent for our country and take us back to the dark days.”

In her address, the EC Chairperson appealed to President Akufo-Addo and President-elect John Dramani Mahama to intervene and ensure that the results for these nine disputed constituencies are smoothly collated and announced.

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