Kofi Bentil criticises electoral commission over collation lapses in 2024 general election

Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI Africa, has criticised the Electoral Commission (EC) for what he describes as operational inneffiencies and questionable decisions during the collation of results in the 2024 general election. 

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, December 14, 2024, Mr Bentil questioned the legality of some of the EC’s actions and called for greater accountability in the electoral process.

Mr Bentil specifically took issue with the EC’s decision to move collation centres from constituencies to other locations, such as district offices or military installations, citing security concerns.

“By law, collation is supposed to take place within the constituency,” he said. “Even if the decision to relocate was necessary for security reasons, the process should have been returned to the constituency to meet legal requirements. The EC bears full responsibility for this decision, not the police.”

He characterised the move as a sign of poor planning and operational failure. “The EC had all the resources it needed, over $100 million  were allocated for this election cycle. With these resources, failing to carry out such a basic aspect of their mandate reflects incompetence,” 
Mr Bentil added.

Inconsistencies and mistrust

Mr Bentil also criticised the EC for inconsistencies in its handling of collation disputes. 

He noted that while the EC previously insisted that collation results could not be revisited, it had now allowed re-collation in some cases, raising questions about fairness and transparency.

“In 2020, the EC told aggrieved parties to go to court if they had concerns about collation. But now, the same EC is engaging in re-collation under unclear circumstances,” Mr Bentil said.

“This reversal only fuels suspicion that the EC is aligned with one political party, damaging public confidence in its neutrality.”

He emphasised the need for the EC to be more transparent and proactive in addressing electoral disputes.

“Instead of dismissing concerns outright, the EC should create an open platform for dialogue. Many of these disputes can be resolved through negotiation, avoiding the need for prolonged court battles,” he argued.

Mr Bentil also pointed to long-standing inefficiencies within the EC, arguing that these issues had persisted across multiple election cycles.

“The EC has conducted elections for over 30 years, yet the same problems keep resurfacing. It’s time for a serious overhaul,” he said.

He proposed comprehensive reforms, including greater transparency in leadership appointments. 

“Key roles within the EC should be advertised and filled through merit-based processes. Credibility and trust in our elections depend on the EC’s ability to remain impartial and competent,” Mr Bentil stressed.