The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has declared the parliamentary results for Dome Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, and two other constituencies as illegal and stated that they cannot be upheld.
This decision comes amid significant tensions and disputes surrounding the recent elections, particularly between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The controversy erupted following allegations from the NPP that NDC supporters pressured EC officials into declaring results in their favor.
The NPP’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong-Kodua, highlighted instances of coercion during a press briefing, asserting that NDC supporters forced returning officers to declare results that were not reflective of the actual votes cast.
He specifically mentioned constituencies like Dome Kwabenya and Okaikwei Central as areas where these irregularities occurred.
EC’s Response
“It is important to note that the re-collation in the following constituencies, namely Dome Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, and Tema Central, did not follow laid down processes as enshrined in CI 127 despite police presence at the collation centres to enable the commission staff to undertake the re-collation.
“The centres were again besieged by party supporters who took over the process and forced out staff to declare results of their preferred candidates,” Tettey stated.
“It is therefore the conclusion of the commission that the collation and declarations which did not follow laid down procedures are illegal and cannot be upheld by the commission since the processes for collation and declaration as set out in CI 127 were violated and not followed,” he added
He further emphasised that in all four instances, the process of CI 127 was not followed, and EC officers were threatened to declare winners without adhering to the required procedures.
In response to the escalating tensions, the EC announced a temporary halt to the re-collation of parliamentary results at the National Police Training School in Tesano, Accra.
This suspension was prompted by disagreements among political parties regarding the accuracy of the electoral results.
The EC emphasized that further consultations with all political stakeholders were necessary to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
The commission had previously requested police protection to maintain order during the collation process, which had been disrupted by disputes over discrepancies in the results.
Both major political parties expressed frustration over how the situation was being handled, with accusations flying back and forth regarding the integrity of the electoral process.
The EC’s announcement regarding the illegal status of these declarations raises significant concerns about the legitimacy of the electoral outcomes in these constituencies.
The NPP has called for immediate action from the EC to reverse these declarations and uphold what they claim is the true will of the people.
They argue that allowing such illegal declarations to stand undermines democracy and sets a dangerous precedent for future elections.
K Fosu The Informant is a lifestyle blogger with 6 years' experience in content and web development. He is a Google keyword planner, SEO analyst, an influencer and entrepreneur who holds BA Degree from Ghana's Premier University.
