5 NPP Parliamentary Candidates demand collation, re-collation of results

Five parliamentary candidates (PCs) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) to collate and re-collate the parliamentary results in their respective constituencies.

In their separate petitions to the Chairperson of the EC, dated Friday, December 13, 2024, the five parliamentary candidates insisted that they were the rightful winners of the elections in the constituencies.

While two of the candidates — Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah of Techiman South and Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh of Ablekuma North — are demanding the collation of the parliamentary results, which they say had unduly delayed, the three others want the EC to re-collate the results on the basis that the initial collation was unlawful and in flagrant violation of electoral laws.

The three seeking the re-collation of the results are Charles Forson of Tema Central Constituency, Patrick Yaw Boamah of Okaikwei Central Constituency and Mike Aaron Oquaye Jnr of Dome-Kwabenya Constituency.

Techiman South

With regard to Techiman South, Mr Korsah insists that the collation of the election results had not been done although the polls closed almost a week before his petition.

He, therefore, called on the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, to immediately direct the Returning Officer for the constituency to collate the election results and declare the winner.

“I am making a demand on you as the chair of the commission to direct the Returning Officer of the Techiman South Constituency to collate and declare the winner of the Techiman South parliamentary elections,” he said in the petition.

For Ablekuma North, Nana Akua Afriyieh claimed that after the close of polls on December 7, her representatives were attacked by some people, while others also snatched the EC’s copies of statement of results sheets, commonly called pink sheets.

The EC Returning Officer, she explained, was also put under duress to declare the results in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate.

“I have attached the scanned copies of all 281 pink sheets, which show that I won the election with a margin of 411 votes. The results are as follows: Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh (NPP) — 34,610 votes, and Awurabena Aubyn (NDC) — 34,199 votes,” she said.

“In view of the aforesaid, I am making a demand on your office to direct the Returning Officer for the Ablekuma North Constituency to collate and declare the Ablekuma North Constituency parliamentary election results within the provisions of the law,” she added.

Tema Central

Mr Forson, in his petition, demanded a re-collation of the results, or what he described as “proper collation”.

According to him, the initial collation, which led to the declaration of the NDC candidate, Ebi Bright, as the winner, was done without the pink sheets from two polling stations.

“The votes from the two remaining polling stations when added will give me 18,870 votes as against the NDC’s 18,815 votes,” he said.

“In view of the aforesaid, I am officially demanding your good office to direct the Returning Officer for the Tema Central Constituency to properly collate and declare the Tema Central Constituency parliamentary election results in accordance with law,” he added.

Okaikwei Central

Mr Boamah also called on the EC to re-collate the results or conduct “proper collation” on the basis that the previous collation was done without the full complement of all the pink sheets from the polling stations.

According to him, the Returning Officer for the constituency,  while declaring the results, excluded 31 polling stations results.

“Based on the polling stations results, pink sheets, and results as declared at the constituency collation centre, I am the projected winner of the parliamentary election.

The unlawful exclusion of the 31 polling stations at the regional collation centre significantly impacted the outcome of the results,” Mr Boamah said in the petition.

For Dome-Kwabenya, Mr Oquaye Jnr said the collation that led to the declaration of Elikplim Akurugu of the NDC as the winner was done in flagrant violation of the electoral laws of the country as it was not done in his presence or that of his representatives.

Such an act, he insisted, was a breach of Regulation 43 (1) of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I. 127).

He, therefore, demanded that the EC conducted what he termed as a “proper collation” for the constituency.

Writer’s email : emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh