The Electoral Commission (EC) has declared the parliamentary results for Dome Kwabenya, Okaikwei Central, and Ablekuma North invalid, citing serious procedural lapses and reports of intimidation towards its officials during the collation process.

At a press briefing held on December 19, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa outlined the reasons behind the Commission’s decision.

She stated that both Okaikwei Central and Ablekuma North had results announced without completing the proper collation of data.

“In the case of Okaikwei Central, the winner was declared without collating results from 31 polling stations. In the case of the Ablekuma North, a winner was declared without collating results from 62 polling stations.

“This is unacceptable, the declarations were made under threats and the Commission considers these as illegal. Those declarations similar in other constituencies will not be upheld.”

In Okaikwei Central, the Commission found that results from 31 polling stations were left out, while in Ablekuma North, 62 polling stations were omitted from the final count.

Mensa emphasized that such omissions, combined with the fact that these results were announced under duress, rendered the declarations unlawful.

She further warned that similar cases from other constituencies would not be recognized if they involved similar breaches.

Although the EC has been able to finalize the re-collation of results in constituencies such as Suhum, Akwatia, and Fanteakwa North, the results from Okaikwei Central and Ablekuma North are still in dispute due to the irregularities.

The election collation process in various constituencies, including the three mentioned, was plagued by unrest and violence, which led to the relocation of collation activities to the Police Training School. These disruptions sparked further conflicts regarding the management and aggregation of the results.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has voiced strong opposition to the EC’s actions, arguing that the original polling station results should be honored as the final outcome. The Commission’s decision to annul the results only intensifies the ongoing tensions surrounding the parliamentary elections in these contentious areas.

Despite these challenges, the EC has reiterated its determination to maintain transparency and ensure the integrity of the electoral process moving forward.