EC set to complete collation of results in 4 outstanding constituencies today
The Electoral Commission (EC) has scheduled to complete the collation in four outstanding constituencies and declare the winners of the parliamentary elections today, Sunday, January 5, 2025.
The move follows the Accra High Court order directing the EC to complete the collation of results in the four outstanding constituencies and declare the winners by Monday, January 6.
The four constituencies in question are Tema Central, Okaikwei Central, and Ablekuma North in the Greater Accra Region, as well as Techiman South in the Bono East Region.
The EC has invited the media to witness the exercise, which will take place at the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Commission at Ridge, starting at 8 am.
Background
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The disputed constituencies have been a point of contention since the December 7, 2024 elections.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidates were initially declared winners in these constituencies.
However, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidates rejected it, citing irregularities and said the processes were not complete and that not all polling stations were added to the collation.
In some instances, they claimed the returning officers for the constituencies were not the ones who announced the results minus some polling stations and did the purported declarations.
The concerns were raised at the national level of the EC and the commission at a press conference indicated some of their officers were "threatened, beaten, and forced to declare results under duress."
The NPP candidates therefore went to the High Court for a mandamus order, asking the EC to complete the process by adding all polling stations before declaring the results.
The court came out with judgment on Saturday and asked EC to complete the processes before declaring winners by Monday, Jan 6.
Meanwhile, the NDC has filed an appeal and stay of execution against the High Court's ruling.
Another had court had earlier granted the mandamus application but the NDC went to the Supreme Court with the explanation that the High Court did not give it a hearing before granting the mandamus.
The Supreme Court therefore quashed the earlier High Court order asking the EC to go and complete the process and directed the case should go before a different High Court judge and this time the NDC should be given a hearing.
The court gave the NDC a hearing in an objection to the mandamus application. The NDC had argued that since the declarations had already happened the appropriate application was an election petition and not a mandamus.
The court however overruled the objection and went ahead to hear the application and came out with its ruling on Saturday.
The Accra High Court presided over by Justice Forson Baah Agyapong in granting the mandamus application by the affected NPP Parliamentary Candidates gave the EC up to Monday, January 6, 2025 to collate all the outstanding polling stations results of the four constituencies and declare the winners of the parliamentary elections.
It also ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide adequate security and armed security officers to help the EC undertake the collation.
9th Parliament
The 9th Parliament is scheduled for inauguration on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 of which the four parliamentary seats form part of the 276 member House.