The December 7 general elections, which marked the victorious return of John Dramani Mahama to the presidency, saw him secure 56.55% of the valid votes (6,328,397 votes). His decisive win has ushered in a wave of anticipation and contention across Ghana.
Mahama’s primary opponent, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received 4,657,304 votes. Despite the conclusion of the presidential race, uncertainty lingers over several parliamentary constituencies, where official results are yet to be finalized.
Twelve constituencies remain in dispute, with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the NPP, and the Electoral Commission (EC) citing procedural anomalies and disagreements as reasons for the delay.
The EC has stated that these disputes arose from issues such as miscounting, irregularities in collation, and conflicts at collation centres, which must be resolved before final declarations can be made.
The 12 constituencies under contention include:
1. Dome Kwabenya
2. Okaikwei Central
3. Ablekuma North
4. Suhum
5. Akwatia
6. Fanteakwa North
7. Tema Central
8. Ahafo Ano South West
9. Ahafo Ano North
10. Obuasi East
11 Nsawam/Adoagyiri
12. Techiman South
In these areas, disputes have arisen due to alleged discrepancies in the collation process, claims of declaration under duress, or disagreements over recounts.
The resulting legal challenges and political tensions have brought Ghana’s electoral integrity under scrutiny.
Seats disputed by the NDC
1. Suhum
In Suhum, the EC declared Frank Asiedu Bekoe of the NPP as the winner after a recount at the National Police Training School on Thursday, December 12.
Bekoe received 16,855 votes, narrowly defeating the NDC’s Prince Kwadwo Addo Tabiri, who garnered 15,259 votes.
Two independent candidates, Kwadjo Asante and Emmanuel Dede Wiafe, obtained 14,860 and 159 votes, respectively.
The NDC contested the results, alleging discrepancies during the recount process and threatening legal action to challenge the declaration. Party officials argued that the process disenfranchised some voters and raised concerns about transparency.
2. Akwatia
The Akwatia seat also faced heated contention. The EC declared Ernest Kumi of the NPP the winner over the NDC’s Henry Yiadom Boakye after a recount. NDC supporters criticised the EC’s decision, arguing it undermined the credibility of the electoral process.
3. Fanteakwa North
In Fanteakwa North, the EC initially declared Haruna Apaw-Wiredu of the NDC the winner. However, the EC later admitted that this declaration was made under duress and called for a recount.
Following the recount, Kwame Appiah Kodua of the NPP was declared the victor, reigniting tensions between the parties.
4. Techiman South
The NDC is hotly contesting the declaration of Martin Kwaku Adjei-Mensah Korsah as the MP-elect for the constituency.
Supporters of Christopher Beyere Baasongti allegedly stormed the Techiman Divisional Police Command on December 8 where electoral materials were kept and burnt the pink sheets for both the presidential and parliamentary poll.
This chaos and destruction led to the Adjei-Mensah Korsah calling for a recollation of the results.
5. Ahafo Ano North
The NDC’s Kwasi Adusei is also challenging the declaration of the NPP’s Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh as the winner and has threatened to legally challenge the declaration
Seats where declarations have been described as illegal by EC
1. Dome Kwabenya
In Dome Kwabenya, Elikplim Akurugu of the NDC flipped the seat, a historic win in the constituency. However, the NPP candidate, Mike Oquaye Jr., rejected the results, alleging that mob interference compromised the process. He demanded a recount, while the NDC vowed to resist any efforts to overturn the victory.
The EC at a Press Conference on Friday, December 13, described the declaration of Elikplim Akurugu as Illegal adding that same cannot be upheld.
2. Tema Central
In Tema Central, Ebi Bright of the NDC emerged victorious, defeating Charles Forson of the NPP. The declaration sparked protests, with Forson accusing the EC of mishandling the collation and pledging to challenge the results in court.
The EC at a Press Conference on Friday, December 13, described the declaration of Elikplim Akurugu as Illegal adding that same cannot be upheld.
3. Okaikwei Central
In Okaikwei Central, violence disrupted the collation process, forcing a relocation to the regional collation centre. After 78% of polling stations were tallied, Baba Sadiq of the NDC was declared the winner with 15,383 votes, edging out the NPP’s Patrick Boamah, who received 14,949 votes.
The EC later revealed that its returning officer declared the results under duress and the declaration cannot be upheld. Incumbent MP Patrick Boamah has also announced plans to challenge the results in court.
4. Ablekuma North
The Ablekuma North race was fraught with chaos, as supporters of the NDC and NPP clashed. The NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn was declared the winner, a decision met with outrage from NPP supporters who alleged irregularities.
Violent incidents, including road blockades, marred the collation process, leading to calls for improved electoral security.
Seats yet to be re-collated by the EC
1. Nsawam/Adoagyiri
The Nsawam/Adoagyiri constituency has become a legal battleground. The Electoral Commission (EC) ordered a re-collation of votes, citing irregularities in the initial results. Efforts to conduct the re-collation, as the MP, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, called for, were met with resistance, necessitating a relocation to the National Police Training School (NPTS) at Tesano.
Amid escalating tensions, the NDC allegedly secured a court injunction to halt the re-collation process. This legal manoeuvre came in response to alleged discrepancies in the election results and accusations of bias during the collation process.
The NDC has maintained that these actions were necessary to safeguard the integrity of the results and ensure fairness.
2. Ahafo Ano South West
The Electoral Commission is yet to officially re-collate the Ahafo Ano South West constituency results after the process was marred with violence.
3. Obuasi East
The Obuasi East seat was declared for NDC’s Mr Samuel Aboagye who polled 18, 558 representing 49.46 percent of the total votes cast. The NPP’s Patrick Boakye-Yiadom polled 18539 representing 49. 41 percent but the EC has stated that the process was marred by violence and yet to re-collate results.
During the voting two military officers engaged the Obuasi East NDC Communication Officer at a polling station in the constituency in a fight.
The soldiers who were fully armed attempted to visit the polling centre during the December general elections, which allegedly attracted the anger of the youth.
Upon arrival, the NDC Communication Officer reportedly requested that the soldiers leave the premises immediately or face being reported to the police.
Observers and civil society organisations have called for enhanced measures to safeguard future elections, emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and electoral reforms.
Seats disputed by the NPP
Some parliamentary seats declared for the NDC are also being disputed by the NPP, with some already deemed illegal by the EC.
The seats include;
- Dome Kwabenya
- Okaikwei Central
- Ablekuma North
- Tema Central
#GhanaPolls2024
#CitiVerify
#ElectionBureau
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
