EC to recollate parliamentary results of 9 constituencies

The Electoral Commission (EC) has decided to go ahead with the recollation of the parliamentary results of the nine outstanding constituencies which were challenged by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the New Democratic Congress (NDC) after the December 7 general election.

It, therefore, called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President-elect John Dramani Mahama and the National Election Security Task Force to ensure the necessary security and protection to enable it to carry out its functions.

"We call on the National Election Security Task Force to work together to put in place arrangements to ensure that our staff and our processes are protected and secured," the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, said at a news conference held at the Commission's headquarters in Accra yesterday to update the public on issues regarding the nine outstanding constituencies.

Affected constituencies

The affected constituencies are Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Ahafo Ano South West, Ahafo Ano North, Obuasi East, Dome-Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, Ablekuman North, Tema Central and Techiman South.

Explanation

The EC Chairperson explained that the collation of results in those nine constituencies were incomplete as a result of the disruption of the process by some political party supporters.

"In the view of the commission, upholding such unlawful collations and declaration will set a bad precedent for our country and set us back to the dark days," Mrs Mensa stated.

She emphasised that allowing individuals with force or might to take over the collation process and declare themselves winners would undermine the democratic process. 

Disruption

Mrs Mensa said at the close of polls on Saturday, December 7, 2024, there was a directive by some political party leaders to their supporters to besiege the collation centres of the EC where the tabulation of results was taking place.

This directive, she said, was issued to their supporters to besiege the constituency collation centres while the process was ongoing as enshrined in Constitutional Instrument (C.I 127).

“The presence of hundreds of supporters who besieged our coalition centres brought aproceedings to a standstill in a number of the centres. These supporters destroyed pink sheets required for the collation, as well as results collation forms in some areas.

“In some instances, they vandalised and destroyed the desktop computers set up to collate the results electronically,” she said.

“Additionally and sadly, they beat up our staff and threatened them with death and ultimately brought proceedings at the constituency collation centres to a halt,” she added.

That, Mrs Mensa said, was the reason why the collation in some constituencies could not be completed prior to the declaration of the presidential results and emphasised that the collation in all centres were proceeding in accordance with laid down guidelines as enshrined in C.I. 127 before the supporters entered the EC’s constituency collation centres.

“In the view of the Commission, the directive to the supporters to besiege the constituency collation centres was targeted at destroying documentary evidence and pink sheets, ballot papers, results collation forms, computers and to erase and wipe out all documents to be used for the collation.

“Thankfully, the perpetrators of this act did not fully succeed in their endeavours in that a few of our staff were able to retain some of the pink sheets and the results collation forms necessary for collation. Since then, as you all know, the commission has tried to complete the collation in some of these constituencies,” she said. 

Death threats

Mrs Mensa indicated that staff of the commission were threatened with death and forced to declare outcomes without adhering to the processes governing collation.

She cited the collation processes at Ablekuma North and Okaikwei Central constituencies to buttress her point.

These, among others, she said made the commission, in consultation with the police, to relocate the collation centres for the nine constituencies from the regional collation centres to the Police Depot at Tesano in Accra.

She said in the case of Okaikwei Central, a winner was declared without collating results from 31 polling stations, while in the case of the Ablekuma North Constituency, a winner was declared without collating results from 62 polling stations.

“This is unacceptable. It is important to note that the declarations made by our staff were made under threat and the Commission considers this as illegal. Those declarations, as well as others that have gone on in other constituencies, will not be upheld by the Commission,” the EC Chairperson stated.

She said the collation at the Tesano Police Depot for the nine constituencies were also halted after the commission was informed by the police that their intelligence reports showed that party supporters were planning to besiege the venue.

Mrs Mensa said the Commission determined to complete the collation processes in the nine constituencies again and therefore met with the Ghana Police Service on Monday, December 16, 2024, to agree on a new date.

She said at a meeting with the police, the Commission proposed Wednesday, December 18, 2024, but the police indicated that they could no longer provide the Tesano Police Depot as a location for the collation process as thier intelligence reports had revealed planned unrests by party supporters for the two proposed venues for the recollation in Accra and Kumasi, making it difficult for them to guarantee the security of the collation process as earlier planned.

This, she said, had put the commission’s efforts to complete the collation process at a standstill.